Steubenville Rape Case - Guilty

Why am I posting a blog, Saturday March 16th, 2013 at 11:00 Pacific Time, when the verdict is not supposed to be determined until tomorrow morning?

I am psychic - that's why.

No, seriously, I am writing this now, and publishing now because I think that these boys will be found guilty. After reading quite a bit of information online about this case - and I am not going over all of it in this blog now - I think that the judge will find the two boys guilty.

According to Fox News, The defense attempted to question two witnesses (the girls ex-friends) about the alleged victim’s past history, but the judge did not allow most of the line of questioning. Ohio, like most states, has a rape shield law that limits the amount of information of an alleged victim’s past that can be explored in court.

I also learned that the boys did not have "carnal" knowledge of this young lady - they inserted their fingers into her vagina, and humiliated her in ways other than sodomy or forcible rape. 

Before continuing this blog, I suggest you read the Revised Code of Ohio regarding rape. Know the law - ignorance of the law is no excuse. 

(c) The other person’s ability to resist or consent is substantially impaired because of a mental or physical condition or because of advanced age, and the offender knows or has reasonable cause to believe that the other person’s ability to resist or consent is substantially impaired because of a mental or physical condition or because of advanced age.

(B) Whoever violates this section is guilty of rape, a felony of the first degree. If the offender under division (A)(1)(a) of this section substantially impairs the other person’s judgment or control by administering any controlled substance described in section 3719.41 of the Revised Code to the other person surreptitiously or by force, threat of force, or deception, the prison term imposed upon the offender shall be one of the prison terms prescribed for a felony of the first degree in section 2929.14 of the Revised Code that is not less than five years.

Here we have two boys who allegedly digitally (fingering) raped a sixteen year old girl. By law - they are guilty.

What bothers me about this case is not that this poor girl has been hurt and humiliated. I care about her, as I know most decent people want her to hold her head high. I also care about these two boys as well. Yes, I know, they are the bad guys - they did something VERY wrong. But is it wrong to feel sorry for them too? I don't think so.

It was an alcohol fueled party where two teenage boys fingered a drunk girl. The boys were wrong for what they did, but I doubt that they are hardened criminals, or terrible, horrible people outside of these circumstances. I am wondering if these boys have a history of doing this thing before.

Young people and alcohol do not mix. This is why most countries have drinking ages. But then again, one of the reasons we have friends is so that friends stop us from doing stupid things.

Traci Lords is from Steubenville, and has been commenting frequently on this case. I have to wonder why, after twenty-seven years, the media insists on calling her a 'porn star'. The last movie she made was twenty-seven years ago.