21 Aug 2007

Charges Against Oregon Kids Dropped

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AP reports, at the victims’ request.

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. …

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. …

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 and misdemeanor sex abuse charges in February. Amid growing public opposition to sending the boys to prison and putting them on a sex offenders’ registry, prosecutors dropped the felony sex abuse charges and added misdemeanor harassment charges, then later dropped all sex abuse charges, leaving only the 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.

Now let’s hope the people out there in Oregon go on to remove that county prosecutor from office and to fire the school officials and cops involved in embarrassing their state, county, and community. Somebody should start a “morons who should never be allowed to hold any office or position of responsibility” list.


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3 Feedbacks on "Charges Against Oregon Kids Dropped"

Scott D

Such a list would be far too long. I wonder what it cost the county taxpayers and the boys to go through this nonsense?



David J. Ingraham

To The News- Register, Mc Minn-ville, Oregon

Dear Editor, July 30th, 2007

The national news has been broadcasting this episode of arrest of these two children for sex abuse based on assumed types of casual contact between these two boys and other girls of their same age.
When there is clear evidence of such poor judgment by the County District attorney and the Court attempting to prosecute this case in the first place, it becomes the evidence of a larger problem of a prejudicial culture in this county and of the court system as the abuser of the prejudice.
There is also a good possibility that Mc Minn-ville could be the sex abuse capitol of the nation, based on the account of the charges pending for prosecution against the inmate prison population of the county jail
There is a higher arrest record for sex abuse in Yamhill County Jail then there is for drug abuse. Also the bail is extremely high for these types of crime, even higher than attempted murder.
The 8th Amendment to the United States Constitution declares “ Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.” That’s the law.
When a court system, a prosecutor of the law, and a community allows the acts that violate this amendment to happen which is apparent in in Yamhill County, then they are in contempt of the Constitution and should be subject to prosecution by the Justice Dept. for conspiracy to commit treason to the constitution. In my opinion the wrong people are behind bars in Yamhill County.

Thank you

Sincerely
David J. Ingraham

2965 Main St.
Napa, CA 94558-3449

Ph. No. (707) 255-3023



Esther B

What the boys did was sexual assault, under the most basic definition.

If a woman is in the Kroger store and some man comes up and puts his hands on her butt or pokes her breast without permission, that’s a crime.

You’re taught to keep your hands to yourself in kindergarten. These boys knew enough not to do this. They deserved to get punished.

Even middle-school aged females have a right not to have their body parts touched, fondled, poked, groped and slapped.



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