Steubenville Ohio Rape Case and the Power of Anonymous

[HerRealName]

This is perhaps the most stomach turning story I've seen in quite awhile. Steubenville is a small town on the Ohio River near West Virginia. It has a rich football tradition and is, apparently, at least equally corrupt.

Before the school year started, an unconscious and drunk (possibly drugged) girl was gang raped. These kids didn't just rape her, they bragged about it on nearly every social media outlet possible including pictures on instagram.

The corrupt fuckheads of Steubenville were all set to sweep the incident under the rug by dropping some charges and taking the case through juvenile court for two offenders. Many kids that obviously had firsthand knowledge of the situation and did nothing to help were not going to be charged at all.

This is where a group within Anonymous steps in and starts revealing information to make sure justice is done.

Here is their disclosure website:

http://localleaks.blogs.ru/2013/01/0...benvillefiles/

And now the press is starting to pick up the story. The Daily Mail has an article up now.

The behavior of the kids is obviously disgusting. The adults covering this all up is equally startling. The Anon group will be continuing to disclose information so hopefully this continues to pick up media attention. It looks like the entire town needs to be shut down but I'd settle for the stupid, fucking HS football program for now. This appears to be Penn State at the high school level. As if one of those situations wasn't bad enough already...

[RainMaker]

It's an interesting story. Some of the major press picked up on it a little while ago. But it was mostly some local bloggers who I believe kept this story brewing enough for others to catch on.

Rape Case Unfolds Online and Divides Steubenville - NYTimes.com

[Neon_Chaos]

Wow.

[Buccaneer]

Sickening. I guess as long as it important to train warrior, it doesn't matter what damage they cause.

[HerRealName]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

It's an interesting story. Some of the major press picked up on it a little while ago. But it was mostly some local bloggers who I believe kept this story brewing enough for others to catch on.

Rape Case Unfolds Online and Divides Steubenville - NYTimes.com

Thanks, I totally missed that article and there's a lot of interesting background included.

[TroyF]

Beyond sickening. Everyone involved, including those who covered up should be severely punished.

[TroyF]

"He said that online photographs and posts could ultimately be “a gift” for his client’s case because the girl, before that night in August, had posted provocative comments and photographs on her Twitter page over time. He added that those online posts demonstrated that she was sexually active and showed that she was “clearly engaged in at-risk behavior.”

The quote above is from the story linked. Are you kidding me? I mean, seriously, you are going to say the online, naked photographs of a passed out girl are a gift, because she was asking for it?

Holy hell, this world really sucks sometimes.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by TroyF

The quote above is from the story linked. Are you kidding me? I mean, seriously, you are going to say the online, naked photographs of a passed out girl are a gift, because she was asking for it?

I think you misread that. The "gift", as I read it, was her previous posts of pics and stuff ... not any from that night.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I think you misread that. The "gift", as I read it, was her previous posts of pics and stuff ... not any from that night.

I misrepresented what I wanted to say. I meant that it does not matter what she posted before online. There were pictures of her passed out and the evidence screams rape, yet these guys are saying it is a gift that she posted some r rated material before hand.

I am sorry, she may have made poor decisions, but those in no way absolve those idiots from posting pictures of her passed out, posting pictures of her naked, or bragging about raping and urinating on her. (Notice I id not say they raped her)

If that is their gift and the best they have, the prosecutors are going to have a field day.

[miked]

It's the standard, she was a slut and had it coming defense.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by miked

It's the standard, she was a slut and had it coming defense.

Which is scarily prevalent in our society

SI

[saldana]

this is reprehensible...i seriously want to repost the video of the kid that goes to Ohio State on their university facebook page.

[M GO BLUE!!!]

I guess the first rule of Rape Squad is to talk about Rape Squad all the time?

[Subby]

I was always under the impression that you cannot obtain consent from someone if he or she is under the influence of alcohol. Does that have a basis in law?

[saldana]

Originally Posted by Subby

I was always under the impression that you cannot obtain consent from someone if he or she is under the influence of alcohol. Does that have a basis in law?

yes, it is the difference between expressed consent and implied consent. rape can still be charged in many states unless there is expressed consent, which cannot be given by someone that is not fully conscious....that is not to say they cannot be intoxicated, but they have to be lucid, which this girl clearly was not.

[John Galt]

Originally Posted by Subby

I was always under the impression that you cannot obtain consent from someone if he or she is under the influence of alcohol. Does that have a basis in law?

The law varies state to state. The rule in less than half of the states is that a person can only legally consent if he or she understands the nature and consequences of his or her actions despite voluntary intoxication. The majority rule is that a person can consent despite voluntarily intoxication short of unconsciousness. In neither set of states can a person consent if they were impaired through involuntary intoxication (ie date rape drug). Despite the letter of the law, cases with voluntary intoxication as the basis for non-consent are very rarely prosecuted (in part because it is very difficult to retroactively determine if someone was so intoxicated that he or she couldn't understand the "nature and consequences" of his or her actions).

[saldana]

this is on cnn.com now

Social media casts spotlight on Ohio rape case - CNN.com

[britrock88]

Certainly enough to turn my stomach a few times.

[Draft Dodger]

in other news, I really, really hope I never piss off Anonymous

[molson]

This trial's going on.

Prosecutors may get conviction in Steubenville rape trial, but it will come at a cost - Yahoo! Sports

[stevew]

Verdict comes tomorrow.

[HerRealName]

Originally Posted by stevew

Verdict comes tomorrow.

Guilty

http://news.yahoo.com/ohio-teens-gui...6028--spt.html

It's too bad they had to give immunity to so many of the other slimeballs that stood around and did nothing to stop this. It's also too bad that this can't extend to the "adults" involved in the attempted cover-up.

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

i don't wanna make light, but 'digitally penetrating' would be a great band name.

[chinaski]

a year and two years, what a joke.

[molson]

Originally Posted by chinaski

a year and two years, what a joke.

I think that's the maximum sentence the judge had to work with in a juvi case, they're in until 18, and then juvi probation officers assess their progress, present recommendations to the court, and the court can either keep 'em locked up, let them out on probation, or release them from the program entirely, but no matter what, his jurisdiction over them ends the day they turn 21.

[rowech]

Originally Posted by chinaski

a year and two years, what a joke.

He gave them the most he could.

[chinaski]

Originally Posted by molson

I think that's the maximum sentence the judge had to work with in a juvi case, they're in until 18, and then juvi probation officers assess their progress, present recommendations to the court, and the court can either keep 'em locked up, let them out on probation, or release them from the program entirely, but no matter what, his jurisdiction over them ends the day they turn 21.

That makes sense, I keep forgetting they're juveniles. Still way to lenient imo.

[stevew]

Football is the most important thing.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by stevew

Football is the most important thing.

Which they won't be playing anymore.

[Solecismic]

Originally Posted by chinaski

a year and two years, what a joke.

It's progress, though. It does send an important message. Even twenty years ago, no prosecutor would have taken the case because the victim was always the one placed on trial in a rape case.

And even though it's not enough time, at least it will have significant impact on their lives.

I'd hesitate to call this a ground-breaking case, but I think it's an important one and it caught the attention of sports programs of privilege across the country.

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by Solecismic

It's progress, though. It does send an important message. Even twenty years ago, no prosecutor would have taken the case because the victim was always the one placed on trial in a rape case.

Although, 20 years ago we didn't have the social media which led to the kids being convicted.

[Buccaneer]

A chink in the armor of the sacred cow? I agree that this could be progress but there are still too many willing to justify bad behavior, illegalities and corruption at the altar of sports.

[stevew]

Ok. Is thwpossible their lawyers can appeal this and they can get released pending appeal. If that happens, what if the appeal takes them past their 18th birthday. Can they run out the clock?

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Matthean

Which they won't be playing anymore.

It would be great if the whole school could take a year off to reflect at how douchy they all acted.

[mckerney]

Both boys were allowed to speak and apologize. Mays said, “I would truly like to apologize. No pictures should have been sent around, let alone have been taken.”

Well glad he was able to realize what he did wrong.

[molson]

Originally Posted by stevew

Ok. Is thwpossible their lawyers can appeal this and they can get released pending appeal. If that happens, what if the appeal takes them past their 18th birthday. Can they run out the clock?

They can appeal the verdict and do a motion to stay execution of the sentence pending the appeal, but it's a discretionary call for the court, and it's very, very rare for those motions to be granted in criminal cases. And taking a quick glimpse at the Ohio appellate rules, it's an even tougher sell in juvenile cases. There's a provision there that juvenile court orders can't be stayed pending appeal unless there's some specific plan in place to monitor the kid in the meantime. But even that won't happen here - the whole point of the juvi detention is rehabilitation, there's no way the court pulls him out of that (though legally, it could.)

[WVUFAN]

Which they won't be playing anymore.

Are juvenile records sealed? What's to stop them from, upon turning 21, walking on at another school?

[Matthean]

Originally Posted by mckerney

Both boys were allowed to speak and apologize. Mays said, “I would truly like to apologize. No pictures should have been sent around, let alone have been taken.”

Well glad he was able to realize what he did wrong.

His parents don't believe he raped the girl so I'm sure that's the story he's selling to people.

Originally Posted by WVUFAN

Are juvenile records sealed? What's to stop them from, upon turning 21, walking on at another school?

I doubt being out of football 3-5 years is really going to help them get on a college team. Their best chance would be to go to a smaller school, but they might not want that.

[Flasch186]

The state attorney says that theyre convening a grand jury to go after all those surrounding the story regarding covering it up, failure to report, etc.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by mckerney

Both boys were allowed to speak and apologize. Mays said, “I would truly like to apologize. No pictures should have been sent around, let alone have been taken.”

Well glad he was able to realize what he did wrong.

The reporter on NBC said this case is a good lesson because none of this would have been public if they didn't tweet pictures and comments.

[bob]

Not to make light of the situation, but did "digital penetration" confuse others when reading that article?

It took me the longest time to figure out that by digital they meant digits as in fingers, not something with their phone.

[mckerney]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

The reporter on NBC said this case is a good lesson because none of this would have been public if they didn't tweet pictures and comments.

Sure, it's stupid to take pictures of yourself doing something illegal, but to have that be what you apologize for to the victim instead of the whole rape thing is fairly) rage inducing. Like someone just convicted of murder during an armed robbery telling the victims families he's sorry he didn't kill all the witnesses. It's not apologizing, it's telling the victim you wish you'd never been caught.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by bob

Not to make light of the situation, but did "digital penetration" confuse others when reading that article?

It took me the longest time to figure out that by digital they meant digits as in fingers, not something with their phone.

They should just rewrite the law to call it finger-banging.

[bob]

Originally Posted by stevew

They should just rewrite the law to call it finger-banging.

I think my mind was just on phones and the internet since so much of this case was about the posting of pictures and social media....

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by mckerney

Sure, it's stupid to take pictures of yourself doing something illegal, but to have that be what you apologize for to the victim instead of the whole rape thing is fairly) rage inducing. Like someone just convicted of murder during an armed robbery telling the victims families he's sorry he didn't kill all the witnesses. It's not apologizing, it's telling the victim you wish you'd never been caught.

I yelled at the television. The lesson is don't rape people. Posting pictures of rape isn't the real problem.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by mckerney

Both boys were allowed to speak and apologize. Mays said, “I would truly like to apologize. No pictures should have been sent around, let alone have been taken.”

Well glad he was able to realize what he did wrong.

Yeah, NBC (think it was NBC) news was talking about this and how there are lessons to be learned for kids in today's internet society. Yeah like uh, DON'T RAPE??

[cuervo72]

Oh yeah, catching up and what JPhillips said. I was rather snide with my TV as well.

[britrock88]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Oh yeah, catching up and what JPhillips said. I was rather snide with my TV as well.

I couldn't agree more with the collective reaction to that "apology."

[LloydLungs]

Yeah, I think we can definitely count on future teenage rapists not filming it next time. Lesson learned!

CNN ran some footage where some of its on air personalities (Candy Crowley for one) basically expressed sadness over the two convictions ruining two promising lives. Um...

[Suicane75]

Listen, these kids were good rapists. They could have gone to any college in America and done good things in the rape community. They both have a high affinity for running trains and object insertion. I think they could have accomplished big things if given the opportunity. I'm not saying either one of them could have gone pro at raping, maybe if they were able to mature and cut down on their mistakes, not spend so much time with the picture taking and what not. Now we'll never know.

I hope that grand jury deal brings the hammer down on that whole backwards fucking town.