17-year-old sexual assault victim could face charges for tweeting names of attackers - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Mr. Television · 07-23-2012, 06:43 PM

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/...ille-174732753.

17-year-old sexual assault victim could face charges for tweeting names of attackers

By Dylan Stableford, Yahoo! News | The Lookout – Sun, Jul 22, 2012

A Kentucky girl who was sexually assaulted could face contempt of court charges after she tweeted the names of her juvenile attackers.

Savannah Dietrich, the 17-year-old victim, was frustrated by a plea deal reached late last month by the two boys who assaulted her, and took to Twitter to expose them--violating a court order to keep their names confidential.

"There you go, lock me up," Dietrich tweeted after naming the perpetrators. "I'm not protecting anyone that made my life a living Hell." Her Twitter account has since been closed.

Attorneys for the attackers asked a Jefferson District Court judge to hold Dietrich in contempt for lashing out on Twitter. She could face up to 180 days in jail and a $500 fine if convicted. The boys have yet to be sentenced for the August 2011 attack.

"So many of my rights have been taken away by these boys," Dietrich told Louisville's Courier-Journal. "I'm at the point that if I have to go to jail for my rights, I will do it. If they really feel it's necessary to throw me in jail for talking about what happened to me as opposed to throwing these boys in jail for what they did to me, then I don't understand justice."

Dietrich was assaulted by the pair after passing out at a party. They later shared photos of the assault with friends.

"For months, I cried myself to sleep," Dietrich said. "I couldn't go out in public places."

On June 26, the boys pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual abuse and misdemeanor voyeurism. Terms of their plea agreement were not released.

"They got off very easy," Dietrich, who says she was unaware of the plea agreement before it was announced in court, said in her interview with the newspaper.

"They said I can't talk about it or I'll be locked up," Dietrich tweeted after hearing, according to the paper. "So I'm waiting for them to read this and lock me up."

"[Protecting rapists] is more important than getting justice for the victim in Louisville," she added.

A hearing for the contempt of court charge is scheduled for July 30. Attorneys for Dietrich want it open to the media, while the boys lawyers want it closed.

Both the Gannett-owned Courier-Journal and Dietrich's attorneys "have filed motions to open the proceedings, arguing she has a First Amendment right to speak about what happened in her case," the newspaper said.

An online petition asking the judge to throw out the charges against Dietrich, launched Saturday, has already accumulated hundreds of signatures.

"[She] should not be legally barred from talking about what happened to her," Gregg Leslie, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, told the Associated Press. "That's a wide-ranging restraint on speech."

ThomasE · 07-23-2012, 06:52 PM

I wished she hadn't said anything. I hate to see her in trouble. You don't ever mess with the law. You follow through so as not to be messed with. I do hope those boys are punished to the fullest.

Mr. Television · 07-23-2012, 08:32 PM

Contempt motion withdrawn for assault victim Savannah Dietrich

Defense attorneys for two teen-agers who pleaded guilty to assaulting 17-year-old Savannah Dietrich have withdrawn their motion that she be held in contempt for tweeting the names of her attackers in defiance of a court order.

David Mejia, an attorney for one of the teens, said given that the story has gone global because of a piece Saturday in The Courier-Journal, there was no reason to continue the contempt motion.

“What could contempt do now?” Mejia said in an interview, adding that the boys’ names have already been circulated far beyond the original tweet. “Seems like a rather useless exercise doesn’t it?”

Read more: http://www.courier-journal.com/artic...nclick_check=1

Retro4Life · 07-23-2012, 09:15 PM

She did break the law, but it's understandable why she did it. I hope they don't go too hard on her...

Mr. Television · 07-23-2012, 09:29 PM

It sounds like she didn't agree to a plea deal and the prosecution did it anyway. I don't blame her one bit. She's scarred for life and these 2 thugs get to live without their names being made public. They're guilty because they plead guilty.

Retro4Life · 07-23-2012, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

It sounds like she didn't agree to a plea deal and the prosecution did it anyway. I don't blame her one bit. She's scarred for life and these 2 thugs get to live without their names being made public. They're guilty because they plead guilty.

And by getting off easy, there's even less reason for them to not do something like this again. Terrible.

Family Ties Forever! · 07-23-2012, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

It sounds like she didn't agree to a plea deal and the prosecution did it anyway. I don't blame her one bit. She's scarred for life and these 2 thugs get to live without their names being made public. They're guilty because they plead guilty.

I agree. Sometimes plea bargains are made without the victim being aware that the attacker has been given a much lighter senticence then he might other wise get. The attorneys may come to an agreement and the victim finds out afterward. It's sad when the rights of sex offenders are protected more than a sexual assault victim. Hopefully the two teenagers won't get off scott free.

07-23-2012, 06:43 PM	#1
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	17-year-old sexual assault victim could face charges for tweeting names of attackers http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/...ille-174732753. 17-year-old sexual assault victim could face charges for tweeting names of attackers By Dylan Stableford, Yahoo! News \| The Lookout – Sun, Jul 22, 2012 A Kentucky girl who was sexually assaulted could face contempt of court charges after she tweeted the names of her juvenile attackers. Savannah Dietrich, the 17-year-old victim, was frustrated by a plea deal reached late last month by the two boys who assaulted her, and took to Twitter to expose them--violating a court order to keep their names confidential. "There you go, lock me up," Dietrich tweeted after naming the perpetrators. "I'm not protecting anyone that made my life a living Hell." Her Twitter account has since been closed. Attorneys for the attackers asked a Jefferson District Court judge to hold Dietrich in contempt for lashing out on Twitter. She could face up to 180 days in jail and a $500 fine if convicted. The boys have yet to be sentenced for the August 2011 attack. "So many of my rights have been taken away by these boys," Dietrich told Louisville's Courier-Journal. "I'm at the point that if I have to go to jail for my rights, I will do it. If they really feel it's necessary to throw me in jail for talking about what happened to me as opposed to throwing these boys in jail for what they did to me, then I don't understand justice." Dietrich was assaulted by the pair after passing out at a party. They later shared photos of the assault with friends. "For months, I cried myself to sleep," Dietrich said. "I couldn't go out in public places." On June 26, the boys pleaded guilty to first-degree sexual abuse and misdemeanor voyeurism. Terms of their plea agreement were not released. "They got off very easy," Dietrich, who says she was unaware of the plea agreement before it was announced in court, said in her interview with the newspaper. "They said I can't talk about it or I'll be locked up," Dietrich tweeted after hearing, according to the paper. "So I'm waiting for them to read this and lock me up." "[Protecting rapists] is more important than getting justice for the victim in Louisville," she added. A hearing for the contempt of court charge is scheduled for July 30. Attorneys for Dietrich want it open to the media, while the boys lawyers want it closed. Both the Gannett-owned Courier-Journal and Dietrich's attorneys "have filed motions to open the proceedings, arguing she has a First Amendment right to speak about what happened in her case," the newspaper said. An online petition asking the judge to throw out the charges against Dietrich, launched Saturday, has already accumulated hundreds of signatures. "[She] should not be legally barred from talking about what happened to her," Gregg Leslie, executive director of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, told the Associated Press. "That's a wide-ranging restraint on speech."
	__________________ Sonny

07-23-2012, 09:15 PM	#4
Retro4Life Accept No Substitutes Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 04, 2009 Location: IL Posts: 6,708	She did break the law, but it's understandable why she did it. I hope they don't go too hard on her...
	__________________ Alex Reiger :[Trying to convince Louie not to antagonize Bobby] "It's not hard to make people feel bad about their lives. What's hard is making people feel good about their lives."

07-23-2012, 06:52 PM	#2
ThomasE Member Moderator Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 04, 2000 Location: New York, New York, U.S.A. Posts: 10,857	I wished she hadn't said anything. I hate to see her in trouble. You don't ever mess with the law. You follow through so as not to be messed with. I do hope those boys are punished to the fullest.

07-23-2012, 08:32 PM	#3
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	Contempt motion withdrawn for assault victim Savannah Dietrich Defense attorneys for two teen-agers who pleaded guilty to assaulting 17-year-old Savannah Dietrich have withdrawn their motion that she be held in contempt for tweeting the names of her attackers in defiance of a court order. David Mejia, an attorney for one of the teens, said given that the story has gone global because of a piece Saturday in The Courier-Journal, there was no reason to continue the contempt motion. “What could contempt do now?” Mejia said in an interview, adding that the boys’ names have already been circulated far beyond the original tweet. “Seems like a rather useless exercise doesn’t it?” Read more: http://www.courier-journal.com/artic...nclick_check=1

07-23-2012, 09:29 PM	#5
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	It sounds like she didn't agree to a plea deal and the prosecution did it anyway. I don't blame her one bit. She's scarred for life and these 2 thugs get to live without their names being made public. They're guilty because they plead guilty.