Ohio Sheriff Confronts Protesters in Football Rape Case (Anonymous Rally)

[Hissyspit]

Source: Reuters

Ohio sheriff confronts protesters in football rape case

STEUBENVILLE, OHIO | Sat Jan 5, 2013 4:30pm EST

By Drew Singer

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Reuters) - A county sheriff under fire for how he has handled a high school rape investigation faced down a raucous crowd of protesters on Saturday and said no further suspects would be charged in a case that has rattled Ohio football country.

Ma'lik Richmond and Trenton Mays, both 16 and members of the Steubenville High School football team, are charged with raping a 16-year-old fellow student at a party last August, according to statements from their attorneys.

Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla, accused of shielding the popular football program from a more rigorous investigation, told reporters no one else would be charged in the case, just moments after he addressed about 1,000 protesters gathered in front of the Jefferson County Courthouse.

- snip -

The protest's masked leader, standing atop a set of stairs outside the courthouse doors, invited up to the makeshift stage anyone who was a victim of sexual assault. Protesters immediately flooded the platform, which was slightly smaller than a boxing ring.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSBRE9040BP20130105

[NYC Liberal]

1. "I'm not going to stand here and try to convince you that I'm not the bad guy"

He says that, but why address them at all then?

[Orrex]

2. Maybe to open his mouth and remove all doubt?

[seabeyond]

3. why arent they going after the coaches that served booze in their house? why arent they going after

prosecutor that abused her powers?

it is not just the boys that raped the girl.

there were other obvious, in our face crimes committed.

[christx30]

4. Because it's more

important to have a winning football program than it is to protect children from crime.

[seabeyond]

5. i understand. but, the authority speaking said they did it all. no more arrests. all above board.

seeing these three adults, not to mention the booster fan that had child porn with a camera in a school bathroom, clearly shows they are not about taking care of the crime. they got there two, and case closed.

[Joe Bacon]

63. Football is the State Religion!

I'm from Western PA. I know all too well that Football is the State religion and each school's Football team are treated as gods and people grovel before each School's football coach. When I lived in Ambridge PA, the biggest chunk of the school district budget was for the football team. The coach got privileges that mere teachers could only dream about. Never mind that the textbooks were out of date, supplies were always running short and the building was in disrepair! The town lived for football, and School Directors knew that if they didn't have a winning team, they'd lose their seat on the Board.

And the result of all that football worship? The whole area is economically dead. It's been dead ever since the steel industry died in 1984.

I also know Fred. He worked with my Dad in the Boilermakers Union. If Fred made a single move against anyone involved with the football team, he'd be recalled. That's a fact.

Fred deserves credit for appearing at the rally. Others in the same situation would hide.

[lunatica]

66. Your description is very informative

And the last sentence about Fred being recalled if he pursued the criminals explains a lot.

[liberal N proud]

17. The Paterno effect

Protecting the hero coach.

This is why I have no heros, they can't disappoint that way.

[seabeyond]

24. true that, about no heros. or idolize, or worship, lol. BUT... the sheriff is not to be believed.

that is evident by leaving these three adults alone.

[coalition_unwilling]

48. I only have anti-heroes (like Yossarian of "Catch 22" or Holden Caufield of "Catcher in the

Rye&quot .

Come to think of it, I'm the anti-hero of my own narrative

[JackRiddler]

51. And both fictional, I see.

That's how it works, unfortunately.

[Solly Mack]

6. "no further suspects would be charged in a case"

What about failure to report a crime?

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2921.22


Of course, the sheriff and Dewine disagree on if the investigation is over nor not.

Dewine

http://wosu.org/2012/news/2013/01/04/oh-ag-dewine-steubenville-rape-case-investigation-on-going/

Abdalla

http://www.heraldstaronline.com/page/content.detail/id/581789/-Enough-is-enough-.html

[Pachamama]

11. I want to know when the Feds are brought in - Minor brought across state lines for a crime & corrupt

...law enforcement officers including (or perhaps especially Sheriff Abdalla) and even an Officer of the court whose son was involved, even if it was as a witness and her house a crime scene.

This whole thing is rotten to the core....

[Solly Mack]

18. In the late 90's, the DOJ investigated the Steubenville Police for various corruption

charges. For years of corruption.


"In August 1997, a second consent degree was reached with a police department under the "pattern or practice" provision, with the city of Steubenville, Ohio and its police force.218 In its complaint, the Justice Department alleges the city and the police department have engaged in a pattern or practice of subjecting individuals to excessive force, false arrests, charges, and reports, improper stops, searches, and seizures.219 The complaint states that Steubenville officials have caused and condoned this conduct through their inadequate use-of-force policies; inappropriate off-duty-conduct policies; and failure to supervise, train, discipline, monitor and investigate police officers and alleged misconduct. Among the offenses, Steubenville police officers allegedly used excessive force against individuals who witnessed incidents of police misconduct, who were known critics of the department or were disliked by individual officers, and who were falsely arrested or chargedpersons believed likely to complain of abuse. Further, officers allegedly falsified reports and tampered with official police recorders so that misconduct would not be recorded."

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/journalism/cases/katrina/Human%20Rights%20Watch/uspohtml/uspo36.htm


And there seems to be an almost incestuous connection between local officials, the various courts, as well as the police and sheriff's department. Almost everyone is related in some way.

[2naSalit]

29. So this quote at the end of the story...

"People have got their minds made up," he said. "A case like this, who would want to cover any of it up?"

Duuuhh, geeze, let me think about that for almost a nano-second...

Time for the DOJ to get on top of this pile of stinking poo.

[defacto7]

43. As if most people didn't already know...

Their Sheriffs department is not alone in these same crimes mentioned. Sheriffs departments all over the US are as corrupt as can be imagined. There is little to stop them and most Sheriffs and their chosen deputies are notorious for sadistic, sociopathic character. They are the untouchables because they must have complete unfettered control over people and that breeds corruption. Prosecutors depend on them like bullies or bouncers and they deliver. They are paid to be bullies.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

58. In 1997, of course, someone other than Eric Holder was in charge of the DOJ.

Unless the local officials and the football players are selling State-approved medical marijuana, there is less than a 50-50 chance that he will do anything.

[Scairp]

41. Oh man

They really have a cow when bringing in the FBI is mentioned. They REALLY do not want that. That sheriff has to go, the prosecutor has to go, and that football coach really has to go, and those two thugs need to be sent over to adult court. Time to clean house in Steubenville.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

59. As you said, and as supported by your link, "What about failure to report a crime?"

2921.22 Failure to report a crime or knowledge of a death or burn injury.
(A) (1) Except as provided in division (A)(2) of this section, no person, knowing that a felony has been or is being committed, shall knowingly fail to report such information to law enforcement authorities.

(2) No person, knowing that a violation of division (B) of section 2913.04 of the Revised Code has been, or is being committed or that the person has received information derived from such a violation, shall knowingly fail to report the violation to law enforcement authorities.

http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2921.22

[Scairp]

60. Wow

I didn't know it was a crime there. It sounds like a number of people should be under arrest. This is just absurd. That sheriff is a douche bag and the FBI needs to assert jurisdiction asap. These yokels aren't going to do their jobs, that much is plain. And I'm not sure DeWine is going to make sure everyone who should be arrested gets arrested. At the very least he needs to make sure the two that have been arrested are bound over to adult court. They don't seem to have a problem doing it all the time with minors so what is so special about these two? Oh yeah, I forgot, they are local football heroes.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

61. The community sounds like a very dangerous one.

I would like to think that the Department of Justice would take more than a perfunctory interest in this. But we have several years of experience with Eric Holder. He seems to have a tendency to not be interested in certain activities unless it involves the sale of State-approved medical marijuana.

[RedstDem]

7. So, investigation complete then?

sounds like he should be included in the investigation

[appleannie1]

8. Coaches provided alcohol to kids and others knew what was going on and failed to call police or stop

it. All of those things are against the law and chargeable.

[Butterbean]

9. He just keeps digging his hole deeper.

[Pachamama]

10. I thought only the Prosecutors can make statements like this on whether charges will be made?

Isnt the case still open from the State Attorney Generals office with the special prosecutor that was assigned? Have they declared no additional charges?

Who the hell is in charge in the Banana Republic of Ohio and its sewage processing area called Steubenville? See Ole former Senator Mike Dewine, Now State Attorney General is doing a heck of a job running its legal affairs....

[Posteritatis]

54. Isn't one of the would-be prosecutors one of the kids' parents? (nt)

[siligut]

12. Spreading the blame and responsibility

Abdalla declined to take the investigation over from Steubenville police, sparking more public outrage. Anonymous and community leaders say police are avoiding charging more of those involved to protect the school's beloved football program.

So the sheriff is leaving the investigation to the police, but he is speaking for them? Is this because he is an elected official and the guilty have power in this crooked city of 19,000 and referred to in the article as close-knit. Or is he avoiding responsibility for the shoddy investigation that was done and the supposedly better shoddy one that he says is going to be done?

[truedelphi]

13. I suggest: anyone who lives in Ohio find out who your State's Attorney General is and petition them

To have indie counsel come in and start an investigation, and get some indictments going.

Coaches should not be serving HS'ers booze or beer. Kids in involved in the HS football program should not be standing around watching while a young woman is raped.

The fact that this Sheriff thinks HE IS THE LAW, and he sides with a football program rather than with sorting out the allegations of rape, all that is outrageous.

[Scairp]

57. I believe it's currently Mike DeWine

Unless I'm not up to speed on where he is "serving" the public at the moment. Hard to say how he will handle this investigation. I think we all have decided the FBI needs to get involved, considering how incestuous the politics are in this town.

[truedelphi]

67. Thanks for the info. The FBI won't get involved will they, unless the matter

Involves people traveling to other states? i could be wrong, but that's what I always heard about the FBI. Once they ARE involved, they tend to get things handled properly.

[discharge]

14. Fuck

All of the elitist Ohio bashers on this site. I'm sure where you live is just perfect.

[PuppyBismark]

16. I live in Ohio and it is pretty bad given the GOP hold on government

Most of the counties outside of the big cities are not much better than the red states. So these people have reason to discuss Ohio in these terms.

[discharge]

20. I live in Ohio also.

I am a registered Democrat. Steubenville is dark blue.

[seabeyond]

22. cause they are blue, cause they are football, we cheer rape and call victim a sl*t? really, who the

fuck really cares about the state. this is not about you. or ohio. or stuber whatever....

it is about a girl drugged, dragged to 3 parties and raped by too many

priorities... progressive dem that you claim to be.

[discharge]

27. I agree

Fuck football. When did I claim to be a progressive Dem?

[seabeyond]

32. I am a registered Democrat. surely being merely a dem, and not progressive, you support womans right

not to be raped. or a girls, in this instance.

[ForgoTheConsequence]

23. Dark blue?

Is that why Romney won the county by 5 percentage points?

[discharge]

25. Steubenville

Is in Jefferson County. Sometimes a city in a particular county will go vote Democratic even when the rest of the county doesn't.

[countryjake]

35. It used to be a Democratic stronghold in OH...

but now most of the Mills are dead and gone; the entire area is incredibly depressed, economically.

Ohio county exemplifies closely divided electorate
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/in-ohio-county-electorate-is-hardened-and-fractured/2012/09/22/3a848108-03da-11e2-91e7-2962c74e7738_story.html

If you don't want to read that long article, which presents a pretty good profile of the area, just check out the photo gallery and read those captions...folks react politically to the situation they've found themselves in.

[Tempest]

39. Steubenville is not dark blue

Look at the precinct map. Sections of the city are red.

[truth2power]

55. I live in Ohio, too, and I agree. Politically, Ohio is a cesspool. n/t

[seabeyond]

21. more concerned about state reputation than girl drugged, dragged to 3 parties to be raped by others?

really?

that is your priority?

[discharge]

26. Didn't know

The state had a reputation. What would that reputation be?

[mike_c]

28. it's certainly earning one now....

Home of the Rape Crew.

[seabeyond]

34. you are the one that brought it up. what you have not mentioned or seem to care about, is a girl

gang raped.

that seems to be nowhere in your posts.

[Kalidurga]

30. Show us the Ohio bashing...

All I see is the bashing of the local LEO's, the coach that allowed minors to consume alcohol, the cover up of a football team committing several crimes besides the heinous crime of rape, the bashing of the Rape Crew which is what they called themselves, and bashing the people that just stood by and watched.

I hope you don't get your pizza before I can reply.

[Tempest]

40. Add Ohio State University to the list

They have yet to address having a possible rapist and at the very least someone who did not report a crime (which is a crime) on their campus.

[Kalidurga]

46. Thank you very much...

I know there are a lot of bad players in this. But even if we name everyone of them, it is still not Ohio bashing.

[countryjake]

36. No, there's no Utopian state where women are truly safe.

This horrific crime occurred in Ohio, that's all.

When local authorities and officials make it their business to bury such violence, in the hopes that nobody would notice, they deserve to be bashed...nothing "elitist" about it.

[maindawg]

49. I live in Ohio

In northern Ohio. I played HS football at a div 1 school. I work in the schools. One thing we all know is that the football coach is the top dog in the school. Thats how it is , here in Ohio. Now I also went to school on Long Island and I played there too. They had more sports at the school on LI, and football was very prominent there , maybe not as much. When I moved to Ohio , I was surprised by the culture. Then you combine that with this old school generational corruption so inherent in the old steel towns where working people meted out their existence as lives lived.
There is a song, by Crack the Sky, 'sing songs of soviet sons, hear the laughter of the chosen ones, keep your family close to you and you can live like kings.'
Youngstown was ruined 40 years ago. Chicago isnt boom town anymore. NY is pretty cool.But Stubenville is still a cesspool.

[southernyankeebelle]

15. The best thing the town can do and especially the students of the schools in the area is to

boycot all sports activities. Don't go to any football, basketball, softball or soceer games. Hit the schools in their pockets. They will get the point. The students should get their parents involved also. Pressure the Mayor of the town to pressure the sheriff. Better yet get the DOJ involved.

[Why Syzygy]

19. State Attorney General

I read somewhere that the state's attorney general was taking over the case. There is so much rot in that town that even the BCI official sent from the state is involved in the corruption.

I don't think this criminal little sheriff will have the final say on charges. All of the "rape crew" needs to face incarceration.

There is evidence of premeditated kidnap and assault.

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

snipped:

Cody Saltsman: Saltsman was originally charged in the gang rape. After a private back-room meeting at Naples Pasta House restaurant in Steubenville between Saltsman’s father, the Sheriff – and a certain Mr. Teramana (a wealthy Steubenville resident) – Cody Saltsman’s charges were mysteriously dismissed. Saltsman is a former boyfriend of the victim of this attack, and it appears there is quite a bit of bad blood between them – adding a layer of vengence and viciousness that may explain the raw brutality of the attack upon this girl. Saltsman is perhaps one of the most repugnant individuals the LocalLeaks staff has ever encountered. His posts on Twitter and other social media show him to not only be completely callous regarding the horrendous abuse that he and his friends meted out upon their defenseless victim, but show clearly that this young man is an extremely dangerous sociopath who truly needs to be incarcerated.

cody-sees-it-sloppy

Cody Saltsman sent many messages to people stating that “nobody breaks up with Cody Saltsman, Ill ruin that bitch”. This was a month before the rape. A few weeks later, Saltsman’s best friend – Trent Mays started texting the victim asking her for a date and pretending to like her and telling her over and over that everyone likes her and not to worry about Cody. He finally convinced her to let him meet her at her friends house and she remembers nothing past that point. A close personal friend of the victim received pics from her at 9:30 pm, and she was smiling and happy and with her group of girlfriends. An hour later she was unconscious and being viciously gang raped.

While the charges regarding the attack were dropped against Saltsman, he has provided ample evidence that he was present during this vicious gang rape – incriminating himself with multiple photos that he took of the victim during the various parties she was transported to. Examine these two photo’s, one posted by Saltsman to his Instagram account and the other posted to Twitter by another member of the “Rape Crew” closely. These images are of another unknown victim of the “Rape Crew” published by Saltsman in 2011.
(...)

And the filth goes on. The sheriff is as dirty as anyone else in that cesspool.

[doc03]

45. What evidence is there of this private back room meeting at the Naples

Pasta House between the Sheriff, Saltsman's father and Mr. Taramana?

[doc03]

47. I'm guessing no evidence other than an anonymous internet rumor.

[Lars39]

50. You have already shown your bias by admitting that you are acquainted

with family members of those involved in the situation.

[Why Syzygy]

52. Given the context

of that report, I would assume it was at least one of the witnesses who came forward during the time Anon was investigating.

[doc03]

65. I also read here onDU a couple days ago that the meeting was at the Spot Bar, they must have gone

around town and had a series of meetings that day.

[rightsideout]

31. Incredible

The rapists are juvies. They'll just get a slap on the wrist.

Meanwhile, NONE of the adults in charge of the team or the town will be held accountable.

This is the biggest "look the other way" case, in light of all the facts coming out, that I've heard of.

This whole thing was planned to limit as much culpable responsibility as possible to save their cash cow.

Steubenville is corrupt to its core.

[defacto7]

44. You are probably right.

But in this day and age of Internet and world wide connections, there is no doubt in my mind that the future lives of these rapists and the adults over them will be virtually ruined if not completely ruined. It will NEVER go away. It is entrenched in Internet "folklore" if not regarded as justice, forever.

Good.

[Why Syzygy]

56. I agree!

And that makes me feel a little bit better. I think the entire town should be disbanded and unincorporated. Those "adults" have clearly shown they can't be trusted to provide safety or lawful transactions. Or keep them together so that they are easier to keep an eye on. And they will be watched forevermore.

It would be nice if this disgusting tale triggers wider protection for women. It seems to be the season.

[Tempest]

37. The county sheriff is no longer on the case or part of the investigation

The state has taken over the case.

Charges can be changed, additional charges made and additional suspects added to case.

[riqster]

38. Mike DeWine would love to have a big old

headline- grabbing bunch of convictions. He could get re-elected that way.

[Tempest]

42. #KnightSec: The FBI is now involved. #sofarsogood

[Marthe48]

53. Little Hocking Ohio 2010

There was a graduation party. The parents served alcohol, even though a lot of the kids who came to the party were underage. There was a fight, and a young man from Athens, Ohio, was stabbed in the thigh. He bled to death. In the ensuing trial and lawsuits, the parents who served the alcohol pleaded guilty to "1 count each of furnishing alcohol to underage persons" and had to serve 6 months each. They served their sentences at different times, because they had minor children at home. There was a wrongful death lawsuit as well, and the kid who stabbed the victim, his grandparents and the parents of the graduate were found liable in the amount of 1.4 million dollars.

So yes, in Ohio, where I live, it is against the law to serve alcohol to underage people and in Washington County, if you are caught, you are going to be in trouble. I hope that the Republican Attorney General, Mike DeWine, gets involved in this crime Jefferson County. The law is the law.

http://www.mariettatimes.com/page/content.detail/id/541917/-1-4M-award.html

[happyslug]

62. Here is Steubenville's newspaper rerport

http://www.heraldstaronline.com/

Abdalla said he has been asked, "Why I didn't take control of the investigation. But the parents of the young girl went to the Steubenville Police Department to report the rape. There were kids at two different houses and no one outside of law enforcement knows where the alleged rape took place."

"The police department interviewed 59 people. No new evidence has been uncovered since the early days of the investigation. Some of the evidence found by the police department will be used at the trial. Other names have been posted. And those people are innocent. Testimony was presented at a juvenile court hearing by three individuals who were there at the time of the incident. And they testified only two people had sexual contact with the victim," Abdalla said.

"Names have been posted on the Internet of innocent people. They committed no criminal acts. One individual wasn't even in Jefferson County, much less Steubenville, when the alleged rape occurred," added Abdalla.

http://www.heraldstaronline.com/page/content.detail/id/581789/Enough-is-enough.html?nav=5010

[lovuian]

64. the FBI has to come and investigate

this has all the fingerprints of the crime syndicate