OK-13-year-old brutally raped at church camp; 'blind' perp gets probation, Jan. 2018

[MsFacetious]

That’s the first thing I thought! If you can see enough to not cut yourself whilst chopping you can sure as heck do some time!!!!


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Not to mention see well enough to drive and get a DUI.
We don't let guilty but mentally ill people out on the streets, we put them in a secure facility.
We should have just stuck this guy in with them if he needs so much care.

 

[PrairieWind]

http://www.kxii.com/content/news/*advertiser censored*...plea-deal.html


"We feel betrayed, I believe," Sulphur resident Bobby McKinney said. "No child molester should be out on the streets."



On more than one occasion, (Prosecutor David) Pyle even denied our station access to public records pertaining to violent crimes in Murray County, records that are easily available in other counties. In each case, Pyle would cite concern for the victims as his reasoning for denial; even when explained our station's policy is to not identify victims of sexual assaults.



(Pyle's boss, District Attorney Craig) Ladd released a statement Wednesday, which read in part, "I want it to be known that I strongly disagree with the lenient manner in which the Benjamin Petty case in Murray County was prosecuted in many respects. The manner in which that case was prosecuted does not reflect my thoughts or position on how rapists, especially those who prey on children, should be dealt with in the criminal justice system."


So per the last quote...here in Australia, if a judgement is given that a higher authority is not satisfied with, particularly amid public outcry, they appeal it or overthrow it - is that possible here or will he just say 'oh I don't agree but I'm not going to do anything about it?' :thinking:

Edit: ok so I saw this in the article:
"In the release, Ladd also stated that because the defendant was sentenced, jeopardy had attached, and "therefore I cannot legally undo what has been done."

Surely a cop-out? If he really wanted something done he'd do it wouldn't he? There are always exceptions - everything about this is just disgusting.

I think the DA is correct on that. This isn't a typical situation, so I can't be positive. But since the DA's office already agreed to this deal, and the Court accepted it and sentenced, its a done deal. If the DA's office tried to appeal, the appeals court is just going t say "you can't appeal a judgment that you agreed to." While the DA may not have personally agreed, his assistant did and that assistant has the authority of the full DA office. This is a total abomination in my opinion, but I don't think it can be undone at this point. I can't imagine why that prosecutor did that. Maybe just incredibly lazy. I do think that the DA and perhaps the state bar association should conduct some investigation just to make sure there wasn't something untoward going on, ie bribed or coerced into this agreement.

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

Thousands sign petition to remove judge who sentenced blind child rapist to probation

https://www.aol.com/article/news/20...ced-blind-child-rapist-to-probation/23355333/

A petition to remove an Oklahoma judge who sentenced a convicted child rapist to 15 years of probation is gaining serious momentum online.

Benjamin Lawrence Petty, 36, was recently handed the lenient sentence by Judge Wallace Coppedge for a crime he committed while working as a cook at Falls Creek church camp in June 2016.

>snip<

In response to the case, Julie Mastrine, a Care2 spokesperson, said her team decided to start a petition to have Judge Coppedge removed from his bench.

"This was one of those kinds of outrageous stories where we thought people are clearly angry about this, so we should get a petition out," Mastrine told KFOR. "It really just shows you that people all over the world want to see justice. Even if it’s not an issue that’s directly tied to their community, they still have big hearts."

Currently, Mastrine's petition has received over 61,000 signatures and is less than 4,000 away from its goal of 65,000.

 

[soonersleuther]

Not sure why the DA is getting a free pass on this--he is responsible for decisions made by his assistants. I find it hard to believe that he was not privy to discussions of such a serious crime. If he truly was unaware, he is not doing his job IMO

 

[SweetCaroline]

This guy's photo should be plastered on every street corner in the area with a warning. How will that little girl ever feel safe again knowing that her monster is out there and there's nothing else she can do? They have failed her enormously.

 

[TeaTime]

Hmmm. Blind guy brutally rapes a child at a summer Bible camp in Oklahoma and gets probation.

That is a death sentence in itself.

 

[jjenny]

The guy isn't actually blind. He just has poor vision. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to work as a cook.

 

[Peterpaul]

This is disgusting! He should serve life in prison and not in protective custody. The DA should be fired!

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

The guy isn't actually blind. He just has poor vision. Otherwise he wouldn't be able to work as a cook.

Yup. Exactly! He’s not literally blind; his eyesight is poor enough that he’s considered legally blind.

Heck, the dude was driving several years ago, because he has a DUI on his record. I wonder what kind of degenerative (lol, autocorrect wants to say degenerate) condition he has in which the state thinks it’s cheaper to not send him to prison.

What crime *could* he have confessed to that would warrant prison time?!!? Guh. Infuriating!!

 

[EuTuCroquet?]

Judge in Oklahoma church camp case has accepted other pleas

https://www.chron.com/news/article/Judge-in-Oklahoma-church-camp-case-has-accepted-12726808.php

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A newspaper has found that an Oklahoma judge who approved probation for a man who admitted to raping a 13-year-old Texas girl at a church camp has approved similar plea agreements for other accused sex offenders who also received probation.

 

[PrairieWind]

Judge in Oklahoma church camp case has accepted other pleas

https://www.chron.com/news/article/Judge-in-Oklahoma-church-camp-case-has-accepted-12726808.php

Without knowing the details of the other cases its impossible to know if there is a bad pattern or not. But I think the blind guy case is bad enough to warrant an investigation by the Bar Association as to what exactly happened there. The assistant DA's story doesn't make sense to me. And the Judge really should have questioned it. I have more than once seen instances in court where the prosecution is agreeing to a very lenient sentence on a serious charge and the judge will ask whats going on, sometimes pulling counsel back into his chambers to discuss it. And I have certainly seen Judges reject plea agreements.

 

[MsFacetious]

Too bad some of the people who are falsely accused don't get such lenient prosecutors!
Man our system....