Jury rules in favor of former officer, motel in Houston County woman's rape lawsuit

After deliberating more than two hours Thursday, Bibb County jurors sided with the defendants in a lawsuit filed by a Houston County woman who alleged that she was raped at a south Macon motel.

The suit named a former Macon police officer, Christopher Campbell; Purveebhavini LLC, owner of Liberty Inn; and a then-motel clerk. The complaint alleged that Campbell was liable and that the motel and clerk should have done more to protect patrons.

The trial began Monday in Bibb County State Court.

In his closing argument to jurors, Jerry Lumley, one of the woman's lawyers, posed a question for jurors to consider during their deliberations.

How much should a woman be paid for rape?

"What value do you put on that?" he asked.

The woman, 19 years old at the time, maintained that Campbell drove her to Liberty Inn on Feb. 18, 2011, after she and a friend had been cited for underage drinking outside Macon's Whiskey River nightclub on Pio Nono Avenue. While at the motel, when she was either too intoxicated to remember or passed out, she contends Campbell raped her.

She awoke the next morning naked.

Lawyers representing Campbell, the clerk and the motel argued that there was no physical evidence the woman was raped despite her being examined by medical professionals.

Campbell, who testified during the trial, denied having sex with the woman, but said she kissed him and he pushed her away.

Campbell pleaded guilty in 2013 to violating his oath of office, but he said he didn't admit to rape in pleading guilty.

A security consultant testified Tuesday that the motel, also located on Pio Nono Avenue, didn't abide by accepted industry standards pertaining to key control, guest registration and communication of policy changes with employees.

Campbell admitted in his testimony that he obtained a room for the woman while she sat in his car and he later gave her a key.

The consultant said his review of evidence in the case showed that the motel operator changed a policy of allowing police officers to use rooms for people in need, but did not tell the clerk.

To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398 or find her on Twitter@awomackmacon.

This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Jury rules in favor of former officer, motel in Houston County woman's rape lawsuit ."