Collins wants a Stillwater jury?

[douxpaysan]

DA’s office files for change of venue
By: Lynn Larowe - Texarkana Gazette - Published: 10/23/2007

A change of venue was requested in the trial of Chris Collins, one of four men alleged to have sexually assaulted a 12-year-old girl at a 2004 after-prom party.

“I received notice of a motion for a change of venue shortly before 5 p.m. on Friday,” said Collins’ defense attorney Paul Hoover of Texarkana on Monday. “I haven’t had time to respond.”

The request was made by the Bowie County District Attorney’s office.

Bowie County District Judge Leon Pesek told the court he would consider the motion only if it becomes apparent during jury selection that heavy pretrial media coverage of the case has made seating a fair jury impossible in Bowie County.

Jury selection for Collins’ trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 6 at the Bowie County Courthouse in New Boston, Texas.

The case has garnered national attention because of Collins’ talent for football. He is a linebacker for Oklahoma State Univeristy.

Collins was deemed an exceptional player when still a Texas High student.

Collins, 20, Jabari Jackson, 21, and brothers Aaron Johnson, 30, and Charles Johnson, 21, face charges of sexual misconduct with the girl...

http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/localnews/2007/10/23/da-s-office-files-for-change-of-venue-53.php

[insuranceman_22]

D@mn it, she's 12.....that's just sick. Fella's are lucky a dad didn't use a shotgun on that deal.

[tommieharris91]

A 30-year-old? :eek: He'll find a real partial jury in stillwater. :rolleyes:

[southern sooner]

forget the jury you only need one loaded gun. That girl will be messed up the rest of her life and he gets to play ball, something is screwed up with that picture..

[Civicus_Sooner]

He's lucky that wasn't my child.

[Ardmore_Sooner]

Mack pulls his scholly and okie lite meets him with open arms. What else is new?

[A-M]

forget the jury you only need one loaded gun. That girl will be messed up the rest of her life and he gets to play ball, something is screwed up with that picture..



You might as well understand that state laws, including Oklahoma, do very little to people who sexually abuse children. What is worse, is that if this girl was related to him, then it would be incest, and there isn't even a law against incest of a 12 year old in most states. He would only get a slap on the hand if it were incest. Until the general public like all of you get up in arms and have an open fit with the lawmakers, it will not change and people (mostly men) will continue to enjoy their time with the little kids.

No matter what happens in his trial, he will never suffer as much as this little girl will. This one act of sexual abuse will rule her life forever and he will continue to play football. My heart goes out to her and her family. The only thing that we sooners can do for her is to lift her up to God in our prayers and ask that she will find the professional help that she needs to be able to deal with this trauma and make the best out of her life from now on.

[yermom]

well, first off, he hasn't been convicted.

2nd, being listed as a felon and sex offender isn't exactly a picnic, not to mention the jail time. it's not like you just pay a fine and be done with it

[FaninAma]

You might as well understand that state laws, including Oklahoma, do very little to people who sexually abuse children. What is worse, is that if this girl was related to him, then it would be incest, and there isn't even a law against incest of a 12 year old in most states. He would only get a slap on the hand if it were incest. Until the general public like all of you get up in arms and have an open fit with the lawmakers, it will not change and people (mostly men) will continue to enjoy their time with the little kids.

No matter what happens in his trial, he will never suffer as much as this little girl will. This one act of sexual abuse will rule her life forever and he will continue to play football. My heart goes out to her and her family. The only thing that we sooners can do for her is to lift her up to God in our prayers and ask that she will find the professional help that she needs to be able to deal with this trauma and make the best out of her life from now on.

Sorry, but you don't know what the hell you're talking about. Any sexual contact between an adult and a minor is considered abuse.There are very harsh penalties for sexual and physical abuse of a minor whether the minor and the perpetrator are related or not.

Admittedly it is tough to prove abuse by family members, especially after the fact, because most children are reluctant to come forward and implicate a family member or there are other family members who turn blind eyes to ongoing abuse and are facilitators of the abuse.

But I can assure that family members do get convicted and do receive lengthy sentences for abusing their own children or children of other family members.

[A-M]

Sorry, but you don't know what the hell you're talking about. Any sexual contact between an adult and a minor is considered abuse.There are very harsh penalties for sexual and physical abuse of a minor whether the minor and the perpetrator are related or not.

Admittedly it is tough to prove abuse by family members, especially after the fact, because most children are reluctant to come forward and implicate a family member or there are other family members who turn blind eyes to ongoing abuse and are facilitators of the abuse.

But I can assure that family members do get convicted and do receive lengthy sentences for abusing their own children or children of other family members.



Read you state laws fella. I have, and I know what I am talking about. Over 45 states in the U.S. do not even have a law against incest before the age of 16. (I was extremely shocked when I found this out.) It's called the "Incest loophole" by the people who are trying to change this. A couple of states have made this change in the past year, but the lawmakers are extremely unwilling to tell people what they can do in their own home. I have spent the last 4 years as a member of a group (AREA) that is trying to change these incest laws. I have testified in special sessions with the lawmakers and can tell you first hand, the laws that really do hurt a child sexual abuser apply only to the non-related person who abuses a child. Only about one half of the child sexual abuse cases in the U.S. are non-related cases. Many states call this law 'Jessica's law' after the little girl who was kidnapped, sexuallly abused and killed a couple of years ago. Jessica's law has only been in effect the past year or so.

So, before you decide to tell someone they don't know what they are talking about, maybe you had better get your facts correct. Check out you own state laws and see what they are. You stand a great chase of being shocked yourself if you take the time to check your own state law on incest.

[sooner n houston]

http://www.vachss.com/av_dispatches/nyt-11202005.html

The Incest Loophole

By Andrew Vachss
Originally published in The New York Times Op-Ed, November 20, 2005


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What if I told you that a father who was regularly raping his 8-year-old daughter could reasonably expect to avoid prison if he were discovered? You'd be outraged, right? But this is a fact of life in New York, thanks to the "incest loophole." And nobody in the Legislature is even trying to change this reprehensible law.

Most citizens agree that child molesting is one of the foulest crimes imaginable. Yet New York's law—much like that of most other states—allows the possibility of privileged treatment for a special class of offender: the perpetrator who is related to his prey. In other words, the penal code gives a discount to child rapists who grow their own victims.

Anyone who believes this to be hyperbole needs only to compare New York's penalty for those who molest an unrelated child with the penalty for those who molest children to whom they are related.

In New York, sex with a child under the age of 11 is a Class B felony, punishable by up to 25 years in prison. The law is indexed appropriately, in the chapter on sex offenses. If, however, the sexually abused child is closely related to the perpetrator, state law provides for radically more lenient treatment. In such cases, the prosecutor may choose to charge the same acts as incest. This is not listed as a sex offense, but instead as an "offense affecting the marital relationship," listed next to adultery in the law books. It is a Class E felony, for which even a convicted offender may be granted probation.

Probation is available because the law considers incest with a child to be a nonviolent crime. But the fact that physical force is rarely required for a parent to violate a child does not make the crime nonviolent. Incest is, most typically, rape-by-extortion, with parents abusing their position to induce compliance from victims whose every aspect of life is under the perpetrators' control. Entitling those who commit such crimes to a legislative get-out-of-jail-free card is indefensible.

[Civicus_Sooner]

How do "temporary insanity" defenses work in these situations. Meaning, if the mother shot the father of said minor?

[A-M]

http://www.vachss.com/av_dispatches/nyt-11202005.html

The Incest Loophole

By Andrew Vachss
Originally published in The New York Times Op-Ed, November 20, 2005


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What if I told you that a father who was regularly raping his 8-year-old daughter could reasonably expect to avoid prison if he were discovered? You'd be outraged, right? But this is a fact of life in New York, thanks to the "incest loophole." And nobody in the Legislature is even trying to change this reprehensible law.

Most citizens agree that child molesting is one of the foulest crimes imaginable. Yet New York's law—much like that of most other states—allows the possibility of privileged treatment for a special class of offender: the perpetrator who is related to his prey. In other words, the penal code gives a discount to child rapists who grow their own victims.

Anyone who believes this to be hyperbole needs only to compare New York's penalty for those who molest an unrelated child with the penalty for those who molest children to whom they are related.

In New York, sex with a child under the age of 11 is a Class B felony, punishable by up to 25 years in prison. The law is indexed appropriately, in the chapter on sex offenses. If, however, the sexually abused child is closely related to the perpetrator, state law provides for radically more lenient treatment. In such cases, the prosecutor may choose to charge the same acts as incest. This is not listed as a sex offense, but instead as an "offense affecting the marital relationship," listed next to adultery in the law books. It is a Class E felony, for which even a convicted offender may be granted probation.

Probation is available because the law considers incest with a child to be a nonviolent crime. But the fact that physical force is rarely required for a parent to violate a child does not make the crime nonviolent. Incest is, most typically, rape-by-extortion, with parents abusing their position to induce compliance from victims whose every aspect of life is under the perpetrators' control. Entitling those who commit such crimes to a legislative get-out-of-jail-free card is indefensible.

Thanks for the article you gave us. This is what I was talking about. I do some public speaking on this subject and when I tell people how the law treats incest, they simple can not believe it. After all the years I have been involved in this issue, I still do not understand why our lawmakers can't make the necessary changes to protect all of our kids, and not just part of them. Oh well, I just keep plugging away at it in my state and maybe the law will be changed here.

[A-M]

How do "temporary insanity" defenses work in these situations. Meaning, if the mother shot the father of said minor?



When I finally found out that my ex-husband had sexually abused 2 of my 3 kids, I looked long and hard at this at this question. However, I decided that the odds of being set free by reason of "temporary insanity" were not very good. So, I didn't do it. I have one child who survived her abuse and is doing very well. However, my other child was killed in an auto accident while he was running away from his abuser. As far as I am concerned, his abuser (his birth father) killed my son just as sure as if he had put a gun to his head and shot him. However, the law does not see it that way. In fact, the law in my state says that what his father did was only a level 5 or 7 felony. If there had been charged made, the odds are good that his abuser would not have gone to jail for even a day. Yet, my son is dead because he was incested by his father. How many more children do we have to lose before these laws are changed?

[r5TPsooner]

12 years old? How does a guy that age get his.... NEVERMIND! I don't wanna know.

If he did it he should be hung by the gonads.

[yermom]

that really sucks A-M

i know people in OK that have gone to prison for this, so at least we have that going for us.

[springs sooner]

fellow prisoners dont like men who beat kids, woman or rapists, so for a guy who is a child rapist he is going to get his when he serves his time.

[Piware]

I served on a jury a couple years ago where the father was charged with 3 counts of sexual abuse on his 8 year old daughter. We sent him up the river for 150 years and the terms are not concurrent. Sometimes the good guys win.

[A-M]

I served on a jury a couple years ago where the father was charged with 3 counts of sexual abuse on his 8 year old daughter. We sent him up the river for 150 years and the terms are not concurrent. Sometimes the good guys win.



Nothing againse you Piware, but I was wondering why you use the phrase "sexual abuse" and not "incest". Was this by your choice, or was that the words of the charge against the guy? I would like to know if the charge was rape, or incest. Thanks for standing up for the little girl. You did good! At lease, she knows that some people think it was wrong what her father did to her. Not many incest survivors get that satisfaction because of how so many laws are written.

[Kray]

Just to clear up something, this has nothing to do with what Collins wants. The DA requested the change of venue, not Collins or the other defendants.


The request was made by the Bowie County District Attorney’s office.
You know, given that he's been injured frequently, and not a big-impact player when he has been in, you have to wonder why Gundy took the kid in. He's making them look bad (indefensible) and he's not even paying that back by being an asset on Saturdays. Gundy starts off kicking out all the malcontents, but allows this kid in? Geesh.

[Civicus_Sooner]

Nothing againse you Piware, but I was wondering why you use the phrase "sexual abuse" and not "incest". Was this by your choice, or was that the words of the charge against the guy? I would like to know if the charge was rape, or incest. Thanks for standing up for the little girl. You did good! At lease, she knows that some people think it was wrong what her father did to her. Not many incest survivors get that satisfaction because of how so many laws are written.
Do you live in Texas?

[A-M]

Do you live in Texas?

No, but I would not be surprised to know that the Texas laws are the same as in my state since the majority of states consider incest to be a much less serious crime then rape.

[douxpaysan]

Just to clear up something, this has nothing to do with what Collins wants. The DA requested the change of venue, not Collins or the other defendants.


You know, given that he's been injured frequently, and not a big-impact player when he has been in, you have to wonder why Gundy took the kid in. He's making them look bad (indefensible) and he's not even paying that back by being an asset on Saturdays. Gundy starts off kicking out all the malcontents, but allows this kid in? Geesh.
The arrest was made in the spring of 2004. It would seem to be in the defense's best interest to delay, delay and then delay some more. The child is now at least 15 years old, witnesses die or their memories lose credibility. Justice is not swift and this an indictment of the whole system. The defendents deserve their day in court and should have gotten it before now. I really don't care about Gundy and the implications to his football team but I do care about the real victim of this crime.

[Kray]

I really don't care about Gundy and the implications to his football team but I do care about the real victim of this crime.

I agree in principle, but the only reason you know about it, or that it's on this board, is football.

[douxpaysan]

True, but after reading about it wondered why Jenny C incident gets so much press and this gets so little. I guess it is the story of whose ox gets gored.

[Mixer!]

Seems to me that this would be a big hanging curveball for the DO, IF they were looking to get back at [hairGel]