Posted on 08/20/2007 11:32:16 AM PDT by rednesss
Judge dismisses sexual harassment charges against 2 Ore. teens
08/20/2007
By WILLIAM McCALL / Associated Press
Two 13-year-old boys accused of slapping girls' bottoms and poking or cupping girls' breasts at school apologized on Monday as a judge dismissed charges against the two, ending a six-month case that drew national attention.
The charges triggered a debate over whether such behavior in school should be considered criminal.
Four girls listed as victims by the prosecutors had asked the judge to drop the charges against Cory Mashburn and Ryan Cornelison.
Yamhill County Judge John Collins did so on Monday, saying it was in the "interest of justice."
A number of young girls were in the courtroom during the hearing. They included at least some of the four who asked that the charges be dropped, attorneys said.
During the brief hearing, the two boys faced the girls and apologized.
"I never intended to hurt you in any way," Mashburn said.
Cornelison told the girls: "I hope we can still be friends."
The News-Register newspaper of McMinnville reported that a "civil compromise" reached by prosecutors and the defense called for both boys to apologize, to pay each of the four girls $250 and to complete a "boundaries education" program.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys said they could not comment on the newspaper report or release details of the settlement because they are confidential.
Pressure has been building on prosecutors to drop the charges, with critics saying they had blown the matter out of proportion and were overzealous.
The boys, apparently inspired by the movie "Jackass," were accused in police reports of swatting girls on the bottom in a school corridor, grabbing girls' breasts on at least two occasions, teaming up to "dry hump" girls, poking girls' breasts and engaging in what's known as "party boy" dancing mimicking sexual intercourse.
They were originally charged with felony sex abuse, misdemeanor sex abuse and sexual harassment in February. Amid growing public opposition to sending the boys to prison and putting them on a sex offenders' registry, prosecutors first dropped the felony sex abuse charges and later the misdemeanor sex abuse charges, leaving the sexual harassment counts.
The judge dismissed the final charges following negotiations between prosecutors and the defense, and discussions with the four girls about whether they wanted the case dismissed.
If the result of this boorish offense is to ruin the lives of a couple of adolescents because you believe everything should end up in the courts, then yes, I think you should teach your girls to box.
There is a word for people who accept such a small fee. Why not pay the money to some charity instead?
Exactly. Just this weekend my buddy had to give his 6 year old girl a couple of whacks to the backside because she grabbed her 9 year old male cousins junk. Some around here feel that she should now be doing 10-15 years hard labor and labeled a sex offender for life. Get a grip and stop being so damned litigious.
overzealous prosecutors...
Been a lot of that exposed lately. Somehow I don’t believe there is an upturn in such activity. Just in the attention it receives.
Sometimes I gotta beg for that kind of attention. People have been known to pay large amounts of money for that treatment in Vegas :)
Predictable fall-out from Anita Hill...
These two boys have spent 5 days in juvie hall, suspended by the school for 5 days..... then ordered OUT of school by the judge, to be kept away from friends & under CONSTANT parental supervision, since this FEB. incident. (parents have also had to hire lawyers)
Other articles have given much more info about this case.....such as some of the female *victims recanting original statements & admitting to *butt slapping* boys also......yet NO girls where charged or punished.
I didn’t say they should “duke it out”. I said send the little brats to the principal’s office.
Well at least now we know how you got your name...
Bring back the days when these things were settled privately by one’s male relatives and other champions.
In my case, I was 17 and a loutish fellow of 19 made inappropriate contact at a holiday picnic. My cousin was present; a US Marine combat vet, big as a typhoon, steely eyes, intrepid jaw, all the deluxe options of the alpha male. He took the lout aside and administered only a lecture. I’ll never know what was said, but I’ll never forget the kid standing there literally wetting his pants.
But they want it in Vegas.
Imagine someone who looks like Rosie and is desperate, doing that.
Lady, you need to teach your daughters to stand up and be counted among those that have some spine. Teaching them to call the cops for everything is doing them a disservice in their education. The ladies in our family, young and old, can hold their own with anyone and would consider it bad form not to take care of a problem like that personally and quickly.
You sound like a liberal.
I'd moan and hump their legs, moving salaciously and licking my lips.
Probably told him how marines play “drop the soap”...
That's anti-Viagra.
Good for you!
In my case I asked him to stop, he didn’t (he sat behind me in drivers ed.) and so I dropped out of the class.
If it’d been your daughter - you might have a different opinion.
“When it’s someone elses’ problem - It is minor - If it is mine - It is major!”
Well, maybe, but the thing I like most about "lady lawyer" is her bodacious ta-tas.
Imagine its Rosie pinching you...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.