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Topic: RE: Roger Lewis

Topic: RE: Roger Lewis

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crackerbaby00
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/2/2012 8:57:18 PM

C Money wrote:

Jeff Johnson wrote:

An update on Lewis' legal situation:

http://www.thisweeknews.com/content/stories/pickerington/news/2012/01/31/central-football-standout-charged-with-rape.html

I think what is interesting about that article is what it doesn't say:
1. The Prosecutor's Office was involved in the investigation, but that doesn't necessarily mean there was an attorney involved (could have been a victim's rights advocate or some other non-attorney in the office).
2. It's unclear whether the case will even be presented to the grand jury. All we know is that Lewis hasn't been indicted yet.
3. A visiting judge reduced his bond to $75,000. Visiting judges typically only get involved when there is a conflict of interest with the sitting judge (although not necessarily). If that's the case, it's only going to add fuel to the conspiracy fire.
4. I'm confused as to why this is even before the Municipal Court. Maybe that's just the local custom, but if a felony rape charge will ultimately have to go through Common Pleas Court, why not start the process there?

Lots of weirdness about this whole situation setting off my lawyer Spidey-sense.... I swear, if anyone out there is contemplating law school, make sure you are comfortable with being paranoid about everything in life before you send in those applications.

I might be able to shed some light on #4. I practice criminal defense, although it is in NC and not OH. In NC, EVERY criminal matter begins in District Court. This is true for speeding tickets all the way up to murder. This is where the initial pretrial conditions (i.e. bond) are established. Misdemeanors and traffic offenses stay in District Court, unless an appeal to Superior Court Occurs (only bench trials in District Court, must move to Superior for a jury trial). District Court is also where felonies stay until either a probable cause hearing or an indictment. At that point, the case moves up the Superior Court all the way through trial.

Again, this is how things are done in NC, but it may be similar in OH and may explain why the case started out where it did.

JSF
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/2/2012 10:05:07 PM

C Money wrote:

1. The Prosecutor's Office was involved in the investigation, but that doesn't necessarily mean there was an attorney involved (could have been a victim's rights advocate or some other non-attorney in the office).

Advocates often work for police departments, but your point is taken.

"Loyalty to a hometown or city is fleeting and interchangeable, but college is a stamp of identity."- Kyle Whelliston, One Beautiful Season.

Ohio Tennis, 2011 USTA Midwest Team of the Year!

Robert Fox
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/2/2012 10:20:01 PM

Paul Graham wrote:

Robert Fox wrote:

Paul Graham wrote:

Also, don't you clowns know that most women that are sexually assaulted are assaulted by steady dating partners? The lack of empathy on here is staggering, even for a football recruiting message board.

Clowns? That's ironic. Clearly no one, outside of a very few, know what's going on here. We can't realistically be empathetic to either Lewis or his girlfriend, can we? We can't be empathetic AND we can't judge them, can we?

Well Robert, the reason that I spoke about empathy was the following statements....

"Looks like someone has put out her name and statues updates from her social media and judging from the looks of her public statements on the days these "rapes" happened I have to say I am inclined to side with Roger..(I'm sorry you just dont make happy statements after something like that happens do you?")"

"The case doesnt sound very solid I'm not sure how you charge rape weeks after the fact...."

"Seriously? Two times? That is BS. This sounds like a jealous ex to me..."

"The mere fact that there are two counts of rape with the same individual is one thing."

All of these statements showcase a fundamental misunderstanding of what rape and sexual assault are and how women deal with the events and the aftermath. I'm not sure why I would expect a more nuanced viewpoint on a football message board, but still, I guess I am slightly shocked at how quick people were to blame the accuser.

Its fine to withhold judgment from the accused, I'm right there with you. But questioning the validity of the accusations simply because the alleged victim was seen with Lewis or that he was driving her car, is simply ignorance. Rape, the majority of the time, is an act perpetrated by a family member, a friend or a partner.

I'll let the posters you quoted defend themselves, but I think you answered your own question. These comments are appearing here because this is a message board, where speculation is king. I haven't read anything yet that claims the female is lying, only speculation.

Bobcatzblitz
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/2/2012 10:26:38 PM

What we do know is someone is lying in this case. And right now with what we know its enough for an impartial bobcat fan to HOPE for the sake of football that Roger is innocent. That is pretty self serving but thats reality because you guys don't know him. Me having a personal relationship with the kid makes it all the more perplexing because he is not at all a person that shows any violent inclinations at ALL..other than the football field of course. A good looking kid from a good family and good school but the way the world is now you cant doubt anything..its as damn shame.

GoCats!
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/2/2012 11:28:14 PM

Innocent until proven guilty, yes. I believe in that. But this is not a program on footing, or reputation, solid enough to recruit an accused rapist who is on $250,000 bail. It's not worth the bad press.

Enough talk about personal stories and character. This thread should be about recruiting. And Ohio should not recruit Lewis at this point in time. End of story.

L.C.
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/2/2012 11:44:06 PM

GoCats! wrote:

Just trying to be clear, here, you're saying that even it he's acquitted, he's still not welcome, in your eyes?

Monroe Slavin
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/2/2012 11:48:04 PM

Monroe Slavin wrote:

Is there a wiser way to handle this situation than sitting back, saying nothing, and letting events unfold?

Does this thread hold some titillation value for you all? Isn't this just the bad side of the electronic age? The posts here are not unintelligent but are largely speculative about a situation that is bad--one way or the other...a bad act if it's true, a bad act if these are fale allegations. I don't understand why you all can't self-check and not post any more. Go watch some tasteless/stupid local news or reality show if you really need a fix of overblown waste.

I get it. If he's cleared and comes to OHIO, it can be terrific. But can't you just wait in non-judgmental silence until the process has run?

Where's the band?!
WHERE"S THE BAND?!

GoCats!
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/2/2012 11:54:00 PM

L.C. wrote:

GoCats! wrote:

Just trying to be clear, here, you're saying that even it he's acquitted, he's still not welcome, in your eyes?

In the immediate future, no. As I stated, recruiting him "at this point in time" is nonsense. He is not welcome. As in, attempting to sign him right now makes no sense. If he is acquitted in a clean manner with no ambiguity, that's another story. However, even then charges must be sorted out and questions about character must be resolved. How can you not agree with that?

GoCats!
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/3/2012 12:07:16 AM

Last Edited: 2/3/2012 7:13:28 AM by GoCats!

L.C.
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/3/2012 12:31:45 AM

The reason I asked, GoCats, is that I believe there is unanimous agreement here that he will not be a Bobcat if he is convicted. Similarly, obviously he can't be a Bobcat without becoming academically eligible. Therefore the only recruitment question left is what should be done if he becomes academically eligible, and if he is acquitted, if charges are dropped, or if charges are withdrawn.

In the the case where he not found guilty, that is the place where there seems to be some division of opinion. Some, including me, believe that if he is acquitted, and if he is otherwise suitable to the staff, then Ohio should stand by their offer. Others, including you, seem to believe that since he has been accused, the mere accusation alone is enough that he should never be a Bobcat, even if he is never convicted of the charges.

GoCats!
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/3/2012 7:01:16 AM

LC, in the short term, the accusations tarnish Lewis and any school that signs him. As I said, if he is cleared, without ambiguity regarding his innocence, that's another story. I am not saying "never."

medler
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/3/2012 12:51:03 PM

I've been following this thread for a couple of days now. Interesting discussion.

I can't escape the high school coach in me. I've seen a lot of kids get recruited at my high school. Some of them are great kids and deserve the accolades. But some of these kids are so coddled and provided with extra chances, they then default on these chance and then only to receive still another another chance that it sickens me to no end. I teach plenty of bad kids, but the kids who can dribble and catch a ball and have hellicopter parents seem to always find a way to get extra chances for fear of having difficult conversations. Somewhere someplace sometime someone must say: enough. You don't get another chance. This appears...from my distant perch...a typical case.

There is a reason why Ohio State stopped following this kid. Sure, his ACT scores were not so good, but as some noted here that his GPA is decent. If the kid "bombed" the ACT, his GPA isn't an indicator of his potential. Remember: ACT is a pretty good statistical analysis for college success (not the best or the most complete, but a very good read into a kid). GPA only tells the story of the kid in school and in the moment. In fact, if the two are that different, I'd wonder about the high school in question and the difficulty of his course work AND..whether or not the school works on the deviation model for ACT success and grade accuracy.

Rape charges do not fall from the sky. A good coach in our area gave me good advice when dealing with kids who continually fail classes, get in trouble, and generally act like a fool: bad things follow bad kids. I'm all for giving kids 2nd and 3rd chances. But someone has to eventually tell this kid that he's a good athlete, but he's gotta grow up. I'm not talking from a legal standpoint, but from a character standpoint.

If this kid is acquitted (as some are suggesting), I'm STILL not interested in having him around. Having a bad day on the ACT (classic: he's not a good test taker...which is the biggest crutch in the world of education) and 2 rape charges (guilty or not) are either a nice introduction to this young man's character or spectacularly crazy coincidental evidence we can witness.

Winning football is great, but when we stoop to adjusting our community's value for this type of success (but brand it under the possible social improvement in a young man or woman), we rarely come out on top.

Last Edited: 2/3/2012 12:54:36 PM by medler

Let's Go Hawks!

L.C.
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/3/2012 1:25:53 PM

Football aside, these attitudes are fascinating to me. Moving from the concrete of this individual case of Mr. Lewis accused of rape, to the abstract, of some person accused of some random crime, I have always been raised to believe one was innocent until proven guilty, and that one always had the opportunity to vindicate ones self in court, and that truth and justice would prevail in the end. Thus, to encounter the attitude that a person is guilty based on the accusation alone, even if he prevails in court is very much startling to me.

So that we don't seem unsympathetic or unempathetic to either Mr. Lewis, or the alleged victim,let me pose questions in the abstract, involving what would happen in today's world to a person falsely accused, a situation that may not have anything to do with the real life situation discussed in the thread above. Suppose that a person P is falsely accused of rape by V, and is acquitted in court. Now, despite having had his day in court, and having won, P is still considered guilty in the community, and loses opportunities. Employer E, being aware of the allegations, refuses to hire P. Now, what is P to do? Can he sue E for unfair discrimination? Should P accept that his rights are gone forever, and simply move to another community where they have never heard of the allegations? Should he sue V for false prosecution? If he does that, and prevails, will that be sufficient to restore his rights in the community, or are his rights and opportunities simply gone forever?

Robert Fox
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/3/2012 1:51:46 PM

medler wrote:

I agree with L.C.
Medler, your analysis just doesn't work for me, and clearly there are two distinctive camps of thought on this issue. By following the concept "bad things follow bad kids" you're taking the easy way out--applying gut instinct to all situations. You don't have to weigh out the variables. That one tenet takes care of everything.

Again, no one (I think) would advocate letting this kid play for Ohio if he is indeed guilty. But why is it so distasteful to hold out on judgement until all the facts are in? When it comes to the eventual truth in this case, there's no prize for picking a winner early. Let's wait and see.

Ohio69
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/3/2012 2:24:58 PM

medler wrote:

Nicely done.

Can somebody hit a pull up jumper for me?.....

UpSan Bobcat
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/3/2012 3:03:03 PM

medler wrote:

I understand this feeling, but I disagree with a poor test scoring having anything to do with a person's character. Neither my sister nor my wife scored very high on the ACT and both were put in college programs for students who were considered "at risk" for failing in college. Both my wife, at OU, and my sister, at BGSU, finished with GPAs well over 3.0. That low ACT score had no indication of college success. In fact, my wife earned her bachelors and masters in five years total. Now I grant that neither of the people I'm talking about scored quite as low as what's reported in this case, but I also bet if he takes the test another time or two, he could score a good four or five points higher and then he would be in a range that no one would be concerned with at all.

medler
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/3/2012 3:21:33 PM

We're looking at two different things. Social advocacy is great, but it doesn't have to come in the form of a college football scholarship. Let the kid go to Jr. College and get it figured out. A full ride scholarship means the kids has things moderately figured out and can adjust and make good decisions. Once he comes to college, he has to represent the university and the athletic department and program. It's a lot of weight for an 18 year old to carry around, but it's not my rule.

The thing is-- bad kids and bad problems don't suddenly go away and, in some cases the kid figures it out and risk is worth taking and the moment is a shining example for the university (Gary Trent is a perfect example of this). However, go check out Jereme Richmond's brief career at Illinois. The U of I message boards gave this kid EVERY SINGLE BREAK, but everyone around the situation knew the truth: he was going to embarrass the university at least once. Mission accomplished...

The university takes on a great responsibility providing a free education and all the services that come with it to a kid who may not be ready to accept those advantages. It's not a job...it's an opportunity to do better for themselves, but also an opportunity to represent a larger entity. It sounds like a job, but it's not because the reward is in front. A lot of kids don't get this concept. This is surely about their individual improvement and betterment, but there's a weight and responsibility they carry as well.

The test score isn't a minor blip on the radar with this kid. This kid couldn't make the grade at Ohio State. Ohio friggin' State. I didn't do well on my ACTs either, but I also didn't forfeit my chance of getting into college in the process.

All of this is based on a whole series of independent variables and alter kid to kid, but taking chances on kids who may end up failing not only themselves, but our community is a tough gamble and one that I don't like to see. The kid could be found innocent, but the typical kid doesn't find themselves on the front end of a police report and the back end of not making the grade at Ohio State.

Let's Go Hawks!

Robert Fox
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/3/2012 4:01:33 PM

So are you saying you don't want to wait and see? If Lewis is found innocent, he should be relagated to junior college because just the act of being accused is a stain on his character? I'm not positive that's what you're saying. I just want to clarify.

Mike Coleman
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/3/2012 4:33:57 PM

I see medler's point, which is why I suggested due diligence on the part of our staff. Talk to everyone involved with this kid. (I think one of our former players is on Pick Central staff, so I think we'll get the lowdown.) If he's entirely innocent and qualifies, then maybe you take a chance. However, proceed very cautiously and don't just get caught up with what he can do on the field.

L.C.
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/3/2012 4:54:44 PM

If I am understanding correctly, Medler, because of his prior experiences with other athletes, declines to consider that there is any possibility that Lewis is innocent, nor any possibility that Lewis can academically qualify. Therefore he is only willing to comment on the situation where he is either guilty, or fails to qualify. That doesn't get us very far in resolving the discussion because there is no disagreement as to what should happen if Lewis is guilty, nor what should happen if he fails to qualify..

Doc Bobcat
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/3/2012 5:23:47 PM

This could be the best and longest thread ever.......the thread that wouldn't die.

RIP EM UP TEAR EM UP GIVE EM HELL OHIO

FRANKly It's ObviOUs FIRST STREET FOREVER

Bobcatzblitz
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/3/2012 10:59:00 PM

I was lost when this guy said that "Bad things only happen to Bad Kids".
The coaches have spoken with Roger and his parents many times..they have not just started a relationship with the kid..Ohio was his 1st offer back in 2010. He has been told by personally by Coach Solich what needs to happen in order for him to get here and regardless if it happens or not he has bigger issues than football right now. He did persuade his friend Sebastian Smith to come to Ohio and maybe Sebastian is confident that Roger will get straighten out and possibly join him in the future..who knows. I think there was some serious concern if Sebastian would commit after the whole thing.

mf279801
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/3/2012 11:48:37 PM

Bobcatzblitz wrote:

I was lost when this guy said that "Bad things only happen to Bad Kids".
The coaches have spoken with Roger and his parents many times..they have not just started a relationship with the kid..Ohio was his 1st offer back in 2010. He has been told by personally by Coach Solich what needs to happen in order for him to get here and regardless if it happens or not he has bigger issues than football right now. He did persuade his friend Sebastian Smith to come to Ohio and maybe Sebastian is confident that Roger will get straighten out and possibly join him in the future..who knows. I think there was some serious concern if Sebastian would commit after the whole thing.

Agreed. Regardless if he ever joins the bobcat family, I hope (as do many of us, I think) that he has been falsely accused and that justice is served: That would mean that his life, though certainly thrown for a loop, isn't changed beyond all recognition. More importantly, it would mean that no one was raped. (though someone would need to be held accountable for the false accusations). I of course have no actual knowledge as to who is right and who is wrong here.

JSF
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/4/2012 12:25:37 AM

Bobcatzblitz wrote:

I was lost when this guy said that "Bad things only happen to Bad Kids".

He didn't say that. Be found!

"Loyalty to a hometown or city is fleeting and interchangeable, but college is a stamp of identity."- Kyle Whelliston, One Beautiful Season.

Ohio Tennis, 2011 USTA Midwest Team of the Year!

Casper71
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RE: Roger Lewis

Posted: 2/4/2012 4:58:32 PM

I would not take sides in this discussion. I just hope the TRUTH prevails.

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