Online outrage over Ohio rape case prompts city website

[happyslug]

69. The Blog you cite, implies otherwise, but says the Prosecutor did nothing wrong

http://localleaks.blogs.ru/2013/01/01/steubenvillefiles/

That can be seen in the following quote from the article:

Jane Hanlin was present. She strongly discouraged them from filing. Hanlin frightened not only the victim, but the parents as well. Telling them that her name was going to be dragged through the mud, she will be in and out of court for well over two years, the press would’t leave any of the family alone once the crime was made public.

I hate to say this, if the victim had come into my office, and I do NO know her at all, I would have told her the same thing, the victim's name was going to be dragged through the mud and she be in and out of court for up to two years. An Attorney should NOT only advise a client about the law, but all aspects of the case, including what to expect and how long the ligation will take place. Thus your apparent position is that the Prosecutor should be PUNISH for telling the victim the TRUTH. Maybe it is me, but people need to know what will occur in such litigation, not have it dumped on them at trial.

Remember our court system is designed to protect the DEFENDANT from the STATE, for the State has all the money and power to use against the Defendant. The Victim is a piece of evidence subject to any legally permissible examination by the Defendant (Generally through his Attorney). Given the nature of Rape, this means what did the Victim actually agree to is important, through the various rape shield laws do come into play. From what I have read the issue is what occurred, and what is being reported is NOT how ANY two Attorneys from ANY State Attorney General Office would handle such a crime, if they had evidence to support those alleged facts. Simply put, this case sounds like it had been blown out of proportion as to the actions of the Police (who has jurisdiction over the case), the Sheriff (Whose authority over the Steubenville police is minimal) and the local Prosecutor (Who has been out of the case since AUGUST).

Now the actual Rape Case goes to trial in February, and maybe then we will see what evidence the Police have. Prior to that all that is being reported is more speculation then fact. What I have heard of the Video, most of the reports involve a Video that has gone viral on the internet, but it is of other teens taking about the rape, it is bad, but it is NOT a video of the actual Rape, but a Video of other teens opinion as to the Rape.

I have also read a report that a video of the actual rape (or of the Victim naked) exists, if true, then that would be evidence at the trial. If such a video exists, it should be in Police hands, but if did exists AND more then two people are involved (other then the victim) why has the Attorney General only filed against the two defendants? The report of this video are second hand (if not third, fourth or worse hand) of people who saw the Video. I have read reports of such a video, but it may be just comments on the video of the other teems comments that has taken a life of its own (i.e. people heard about the first video and then mis-reported about that video till a story developed of a video of the actual rape, instead of a video of teens talking badly of the victim).

Maybe its me, but the "facts" being cited about this case is like the "facts" Joseph McCarthy said in the late 1940s and 1950s, allegations to support a witch hunt, allegations with NO evidence behind them OR taken out of context. My fear of a Witch Hunt may be coloring my view of this case, but I need FACTS not ALLEGATIONS disguised as facts.