Three women testified Friday in the rape trial of suspended lawyer Al Garcia, saying he used his professional position to try to have sex with them.

The prosecution and the defense rested in the third day of the trial in Hennepin County District Court. Garcia is charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct, accused of raping a prospective client in his office in August 2008. Garcia didn't testify.

He is in jail after pleading guilty in January to a federal drug charge. He was sentenced to five years.

In testimony earlier, a woman said she met with Garcia in his office after hours to talk about a possible financial crime against her. She said Garcia swallowed and snorted cocaine, then grabbed her and engaged in several sexual acts against her will for almost an hour before she fled as he crawled under his desk.

Another woman testified that she had paid Garcia to represent her son on a drug charge in 2003 and came to town on the eve of the trial. She said she agreed to have dinner with Garcia, but he pushed aside the meal menus and ordered drinks and appetizers.

She said she agreed after a couple of drinks to go to his office and "see the lights of Minneapolis," she said. But once there, he stood in front of her and unzipped his pants, she said, adding: "I just did what I was expected to do."

She said she was worried that if she said no to Garcia, it would hurt her son's case. "He had all the money that I had," she said. "I didn't know what I was going to do to get another attorney for my son."

The woman said she notified police of the incident after she read last fall about Garcia having legal troubles. Two other women testified that they did the same.

The second woman to testify Friday said she and her son met Garcia at a McDonald's in 2007. Garcia sent her son to get food then said, "I'd like to rape you," she testified. She said Garcia asked her to meet him downtown for dinner and sex, and he would return her son's money.

Assistant Hennepin County Attorney Amy Sweasy asked, "Were you willing to do that?" The woman laughed and said, "No. I said, 'You're a married man.'"

The third woman said she met Garcia in 2003 at a restaurant to talk about her aunt's case and payment schedule. "He said we could work something out," the woman said. "I believed he propositioned me."

She said she laughed and told him she wasn't interested.

Closing arguments are scheduled Monday in front of Judge Philip Bush. Garcia also has a felony witness-tampering case pending against him.

Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747