WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) _ The second trial of a former Massachusetts police officer accused of raping a woman has started.

A jury in Worcester Superior Court jury on Tuesday heard opening statements in the trial of 39-year-old Jason Briddon of Westminster, a former part-time officer in Rutland. He’s charged with rape and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in the alleged assault on a 27-year-old Worcester woman in May 2007.

Briddon’s first trial ended in a mistrial in March 2009.

He was sentenced to 10 to 12 years in prison in 2010 after being convicted of unrelated rape charges.

The Telegram & Gazette reports that prosecutors say Briddon offered the woman a ride home from a bar but instead raped her.

Briddon’s lawyer says there is no evidence of rape.
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Information from: Telegram & Gazette (Worcester, Mass.), http://www.telegram.com

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