 |
This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2009) (Find sources: William Kennedy Smith – news, books, scholar) |
| William Kennedy Smith | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 4, 1960 |
| Education | Duke University M.D. (Georgetown University School of Medicine) |
| Occupation | physician |
| Religious beliefs | Roman Catholic |
| Parents | Stephen Edward Smith and Jean Kennedy Smith |
William Kennedy Smith (born September 4, 1960) is an American physician whose work focuses on landmines and the rehabilitation of people disabled by them.[1] He is a member of the prominent Kennedy political family and is famous for a well-publicized 1991 rape trial in which he was acquitted.
Contents |
Family
W.K. Smith is the second of four children of Stephen Edward Smith and Jean Kennedy Smith. His mother is the daughter (and the last surviving child) of Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy; he is the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, and Senators Robert F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy.
William Kennedy Smith is the biological brother of Stephen Edward Smith, Jr. and the brother of adopted sisters Kym and Amanda.
Education and career
He attended boarding school at Salisbury School in Salisbury, Connecticut. He then went on to receive his undergraduate degree from Duke University, completed premedical postbaccalaureate studies at Bryn Mawr College, and his M.D. degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. He moved to Chicago and worked as a doctor, activist, and teaching physician at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He founded the Center for International Rehabilitation,(CIR) "a worldwide humanitarian network of individuals and organizations that promotes the full potential of people with disabilities . . . ." [1] and the CIR program Physicians Against Land Mines (PALM) [2]. He has published several articles concerning landmines, as well as co-writing and narrating a video on the subject.
Sexual assault accusations
1991 rape charge and acquittal
In 1991, Smith was tried and acquitted on a charge of rape, represented by Miami-based criminal defense attorney Roy Black in a trial that attracted extensive media coverage.
The incident began on the evening of Good Friday, March 29, 1991, when Smith, then 30 years old, was in a bar (named Au Bar) in Palm Beach, Florida, with his uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy, and his cousin Patrick Kennedy. Smith met a 29-year-old woman and another young woman at the bar. The four then went to a nearby house owned by the Kennedy family. Smith and the 29 year old woman walked along the beach. She alleged that Smith raped her; Smith testified that the sex was consensual. Although three women were willing to testify that Smith had sexually assaulted them in incidents in the 1980s not reported to the police, their testimony was excluded.[2] Smith was acquitted of all charges.
2004 sexual assault civil charges
In 2004, a former employee of the Center for International Rehabilitation alleged that Smith had sexually assaulted her in 1999, and brought a civil action against him.[3] Smith denied her charges, calling them "outrageous" and saying that "family and personal history have made me unusually vulnerable to these kinds of charges" and resigned from the CIR.[4] On January 5, 2005, the court dismissed the employee's lawsuit.[5]
References
- ^ "William Kennedy Smith, M.D.: Board Member". U.S. Internation Convention on Disabilities. Archived from the original on 2009-09-04. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usicd.org%2Fbios%2FWKSmith.html&date=2009-09-04.
- ^ David Margolick (1981-12-13). "Why Jury in Smith Case Never Heard From 3 Other Women". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2009-09-04. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F1991%2F12%2F13%2Fnews%2Fwhy-jury-in-smith-case-never-heard-from-3-other-women.html%3Fpagewanted%3Dall&date=2009-09-04.
- ^ "Kennedy Smith Faces Assault Suit". Los Angeles Times. 2004-08-27. Archived from the original on 2009-09-04. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Farticles.latimes.com%2F2004%2Faug%2F27%2Fnation%2Fna-smith27&date=2009-09-04.
- ^ Francie Grace (2005-01-05). "Kennedy Smith Sex Case Dismissed: His Lawyer Says He's Been Vindicated After False Allegations". CBS News. Archived from the original on 2009-09-04. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbsnews.com%2Fstories%2F2004%2F08%2F26%2Fnational%2Fmain638577.shtml&date=2009-09-04.
- ^ "Judge dismisses Kennedy Smith lawsuit: Former personal assistant had alleged he sexually assaulted her". MSNBC. 2005-01-04. Archived from the original on 2009-09-04. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.msnbc.msn.com%2Fid%2F6787068%2F&date=2009-09-04.
External links
- Raphael Bell. "William Kennedy Smith: A cry in the dark". Court TV. Archived from the original on 2009-09-04. http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.trutv.com%2Flibrary%2Fcrime%2Fnotorious_murders%2Fcelebrity%2Fwilliam_k_smith%2F&date=2009-09-04.</ref>
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
