Ravenwood - 05/15/06 08:30 PM
What country do we live in again?
AKRON, Ohio (AP) -- A 14-year-old Ohio girl has been jailed nearly a week after failing to testify against a man accused of molesting her.If I'm reading this right the rapist is out on bond, while the rape victim (a minor child) is being held without bail and without access to a lawyer until she agrees to testify for the prosecution.Court records show the girl has requested a lawyer. But jail officials say she isn't permitted contact with anyone unless prosecutors approve.
Prosecutors say the teen is a material witness and they want her jailed for her safety. A judge has ordered that she be held indefinitely.
The girl failed to show earlier this month at the trial of a 20-year-old man, who's accused of having unlawful sexual conduct with her. He is free on bond.
The man's attorneys say the girl denied that sexual contact occurred, and would not write a statement for police. Defense lawyers say the state has "effectively kidnapped" the girl. They're asking that the case be dropped.
Category: Fall of Western Civilization
Comments (4) top link me
Since when is someone in her position not allowed contact with anyone until prosecutors approve? Just because she wasn't technically arrested and therefore wasn't read her Miranda Rights, she has no rights?
If I were her father, I'd let the prosecution know that they'd better arrest or release her immediately, or I'd release her myself - and considering that she's been kidnapped, I won't arrive unarmed.
...and why do I get the feeling that the prosecution will somehow get away with this behavior?
Posted by: roger at May 16, 2006 10:05 AMNo...you read that incorrectly.
An accused rapist is free on bond, and the (only?) material witness to the case has been jailed because she refused to submit a statement as requested by the prosecution.
She says he didn't do it, he says he didn't do it. Next logical step...why throw her in jail indefinitely, of course! She'll eventually come around.
/sarcasm
Posted by: Nick Bourbaki at May 16, 2006 3:58 PMThey may be at a loss as to how they should proceed. She's not an attractive young teacher and he's not a freshly pubescent schoolboy (getting high-fives from everyone including Dad, Uncles, etc...).
Someone's gotta get locked up, or the prosecutors can't pat themselves on the back. Perhaps the only people forcing her to act against her will are those who work in the D.A.'s office.
Posted by: Rimfirejones at May 16, 2006 4:45 PMThey just talked about this on the radio here in Cleveland yesterday afternoon. Supposedly the girl's mother supports them detaining her, for her own protection. The girl is reportedly a runaway and her mother likes the fact that her daughter can't take off again as long as she's in jail.
No mention of a father, so my guess is that he isn't a part of the overall picture.
Posted by: roger at May 17, 2006 2:16 PM(c) Ravenwood and Associates, 1990 - 2014
