NY Firefighter Acquitted of Assault Against Transgender Girlfriend

A Manhattan jury acquitted a New York firefighter of several assault chargers brought against him by an ex-girlfriend, a transgendered model who was once a contestant on the popular reality show "America’s Next Top Model." The New York Post has reported that Taylor Murphy, 28, was found not guilty of felony strangulation, which could have sent him to prison for seven years. Claudia Charriez, 31, accused the muscly firefighter of biting and choking her outside of a strip club in Midtown Manhattan on Aug. 6, 2011. If the circumstances surrounding the case were not enough to attract the New York City tabloids, things got weirder when the trail itself turned into a circus that attracted even more media attention. Charriez’s testimony was extremely emotional as she cried on the witness stnd and admitted to still loving Murphy. Charriez also told the court she is a $400-an-hour escort. During the cross-examination, the firefighter’s lawyer presented text messages Charriez sent to Murphy after the incident, which prompted the model to yell "I do love you," in court while looking at Murphy. The model lost control of her emotions when the lawyer mentioned her deceased ex-boyfriend, which was the cause of many fights between Charriez and Murphy.