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Author Topic: The evil that kids do.  (Read 3777 times)

Offline gofaster

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The evil that kids do.
« on: February 12, 2004, 01:09:36 PM »
3 girls are late getting home and want to avoid punishment, so they concoct a story to explain their tardiness.  But the story has to be believable... something that makes them helpless so that they were prevented from doing good no matter how hard they tried... something that happens in the news often enough that their parents will believe it... "I know!  We were all attacked by a homeless man!"

Quote
California Girls to Face Charges for Lying
Two California Girls Arrested for Lying About Attacker Will Remain in Custody

ORANGE, Calif. Feb. 12 — Two of three 12-year-old girls accused of giving false statements that sent a homeless man to jail for eight months will remain in Juvenile Hall until their trial on conspiracy charges next month, a judicial commissioner ruled Wednesday.

The third girl could receive home detention after an evaluation by the Orange County Probation Department, Commissioner Michael J. Cassidy ruled. She could return home later this week, said her attorney, Paula Drake.

The three girls were arrested at their schools Monday on a felony charge of conspiring to falsely accuse 36-year-old Eric Nordmark, police said. One girl also was charged with one count of perjury. All three were taken to Orange County Juvenile Hall.

A pretrial hearing was scheduled for Feb. 20.

Last spring, the girls told police they were stalked and attacked by a transient in Woodbury Park in Garden Grove, 30 miles south of downtown Los Angeles. One of the girls later testified at a court hearing that Nordmark started choking her.

Nordmark, a self-described nomad who hitchhikes around the country, was jailed on seven felony and misdemeanor counts of assault and child molestation.

The charges were dropped and Nordmark was released after one of the girls confessed she and her friends concocted the story to cover for returning home late from school. Nordmark could have faced five years in prison if convicted.

One of the girl's attorney, Shirley MacDonald Juarez, objected to the commissioner's decision to keep her client in custody.

"I've represented known Crips gang members accused of assault who were given home supervision," she said.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Mike Fell declined to comment on Wednesday's proceedings because of confidentiality laws.

Meanwhile, Garden Grove police said an investigation into one of the girl's mothers, Veronica Mendez Ochoa, was underway because she did not come forward immediately after learning her daughter fabricated the story.

Mendez told the Orange Count Register she contacted authorities as soon as possible, but police Lt. Mike Handfield disputed her claim.

"When she found out, she sat on that information and let this guy sit in jail," Handfield said.

Mendez said her daughter had been a cheerleader and a member of the school chorus group. The preteen had also played the piano and the flute, she said.

"I just want her to come home," she said.


8 months is a long time for an innocent man to sit in a jail cell.  I guess its a good thing (a) one girl did the right thing and eventually told the truth and (b) he wasn't charged with a capital crime punishable by death.
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Offline Nod

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The evil that kids do.
« Reply #1 on: February 12, 2004, 02:12:36 PM »
well....all i have to say is KARMA!!!!
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Offline LePaul

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The evil that kids do.
« Reply #2 on: February 12, 2004, 02:13:30 PM »
Wow, the California legal system has some kahunas....wtg.

Crips, schnips...nice try minimizing by the attorney.  Kids lie and get get someone else in the slammer...not cool.  Let's see how they like it.

What's on today's schedule for "arts n crafts" ?  License plates!
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Offline Holden McGroin

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The evil that kids do.
« Reply #3 on: February 12, 2004, 02:41:42 PM »
The Salem witch trials were based on testimony from a select group of young girls....

Just an historical aside....
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Offline Kevin14

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The evil that kids do.
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2004, 03:58:08 PM »
Is it me or does everything in California happen in Orange County?
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Offline Pei

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« Reply #5 on: February 12, 2004, 04:44:37 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Kevin14
Is it me or does everything in California happen in Orange County?


I spent six months there and came to the opposite conclusion: nothing much happens in Orange County.
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Offline Maverick

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The evil that kids do.
« Reply #6 on: February 12, 2004, 05:24:03 PM »
(quote)"I've represented known Crips gang members accused of assault who were given home supervision," she said. (quote)

I could see this situation ONLY if the home the gangbangers were remanded to was the lawyers. AFAIC defense lawyers should be responsible for their clients whereabouts and actions.

As for the 3 little girls in the situation, it is just a continuation of the sex assault problems in the courts now. How do you defend against a charge like this? It is word against word and the leaning is heavily in favor of the accuser. Tricky situation and I really see no easy way to figure out the conundrom. I know of no "occams razor" to use to determine truth in any sexual allegation including sexual harrassment in the work place etc.
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Offline gofaster

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The evil that kids do.
« Reply #7 on: February 13, 2004, 08:57:17 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by Holden McGroin
The Salem witch trials were based on testimony from a select group of young girls....

Just an historical aside....


Yeah, that's the first thing that came to my mind as well.  "This is just like Salem in the 17th century.
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January 20
Nine-year-old Elizabeth Parris and eleven-year-old Abigail Williams began to exhibit strange behavior, such as blasphemous screaming, convulsive seizures, trance-like states and mysterious spells. Within a short time, several other Salem girls began to demonstrate similar behavior.

Mid-February
Unable to determine any physical cause for the symptoms and dreadful behavior, physicians concluded that the girls were under the influence of Satan.

Late February
... Pressured to identify the source of their affliction, the girls named three women, including Tituba, Parris' Carib Indian slave, as witches. On February 29, warrants were issued for the arrests of Tituba, Sarah Good and Sarah Osborne.

...Frequently denounced were women whose behavior or economic circumstances were somehow disturbing to the social order and conventions of the time.

June 10
Bridget Bishop was hanged in Salem, the first official execution of the Salem witch trials.

Mid-July
... In an effort to expose the witches afflicting his life, Joseph Ballard of nearby Andover enlisted the aid of the accusing girls of Salem. This action marked the beginning of the Andover witch hunt.

July 19
Rebecca Nurse, Susannah Martin, Elizabeth Howe, Sarah Good, and Sarah Wildes were executed.

August 19
George Jacobs, Sr., Martha Carrier, George Burroughs, John Proctor, and John Willard were hanged on Gallows Hill.

September 19
Giles Corey was pressed to death for refusing a trial.

September 22
Martha Corey, Margaret Scott, Mary Easty, Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator, Wilmott Redd, Samuel Wardwell, and Mary Parker were hanged.

October 8
After 20 people had been executed in the Salem witch hunt, Thomas Brattle wrote a letter criticizing the witchcraft trials. This letter had great impact on Governor Phips, who ordered that reliance on spectral and intangible evidence no longer be allowed in trials.
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Offline Kanth

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The evil that kids do.
« Reply #8 on: February 13, 2004, 09:03:13 AM »
Just the important stuff.  :D

Quote
Originally posted by Kevin14
Is it me or does everything in California happen in Orange County?
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Offline Pongo

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« Reply #9 on: February 13, 2004, 10:01:59 AM »
I bet mr Hobo has no trouble getting a lawyer for a civil trial.
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Offline gofaster

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The evil that kids do.
« Reply #10 on: February 13, 2004, 10:17:55 AM »
Quote
Originally posted by Pongo
I bet mr Hobo has no trouble getting a lawyer for a civil trial.

Then he won't be a hobo no mo'.
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Offline Airhead

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The evil that kids do.
« Reply #11 on: February 13, 2004, 10:24:23 AM »
Best argument against capital punishment, IMHO.
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Offline Maverick

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« Reply #12 on: February 13, 2004, 12:24:46 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Airhead
Best argument against capital punishment, IMHO.

]
It might be, if it applied, which it doesn't, so it can't be.



:aok
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Offline Airhead

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« Reply #13 on: February 13, 2004, 01:22:28 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Maverick
]
It might be, if it applied, which it doesn't, so it can't be.



:aok


Only because the truth (thankfully) came out, but how many people have been convicted of capital crimes then had DNA later exonerate them? It's not as rare as you think. And is a good reason to be opposed to capital punishment.
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Offline Tarmac

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« Reply #14 on: February 13, 2004, 01:45:23 PM »
Quote
Originally posted by Airhead
Only because the truth (thankfully) came out, but how many people have been convicted of capital crimes then had DNA later exonerate them? It's not as rare as you think. And is a good reason to be opposed to capital punishment.


http://www.innocenceproject.org/
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