Cambridge District Court released Joshua M. Elster '00 on $10,000 cash bail yesterday afternoon.
Elster was charged with three counts of rape and two counts of assault and battery on a Harvard female student in an arraignment Monday afternoon, according to court records.
He pleaded not guilty on all counts, according to his attorney, Kenneth F. D'Arcy '58.
District Court Judge George R. Sprague '60 said he expected Elster to return to Kirkland House yesterday with a police escort to collect his personal belongings from his dormitory room.
"I set three conditions for his release," said Sprague, who presided over the arraignment.
"The first was that he stay away from the victim. The second was that he stay away from Harvard The court has scheduled a pre-trial hearing forFeb. 20. According to court documents, the alleged rapeoccurred last Wednesday, Jan. 28. But the incidentwas not reported to the Harvard University PoliceDepartment (HUPD) until Thursday, Jan. 29. Harvard authorities said they understood thatthe alleged rape occurred on the day it wasreported--Thursday. "To the best of my knowledge, the allegedattack occurred and was reported to the policeconfidentially on the 29th," said Harvardspokesperson Joe Wrinn. Wrinn said police will keep Elster off theHarvard campus by force, if necessary. "He's not going to be returning to Harvard, ifat all, until such a time that the criminalcharges are resolved," he said. "We understand that the court ordered that heis not to return to the Harvard campus. The[Harvard] police department has been apprised andwill enforce it," Wrinn said. Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III said theUniversity is most concerned about Elster'sreturning to campus now that he has been releasedon bail. Epps said the University has a definite plan toactively prevent Elster from coming near theHarvard campus. "We thought all this through, and we have aplan for keeping him away from the campus which Icannot go into in detail," Epps said. Read more in News
