Heimlich

SomeBaseballDad posted:

Goosegg posted:

In all probability a civil suit hasn't yet been filed.  No statute of limitations problem because the victim was and still is a minor; so a suit could have been filed but it could also be filed for a period of time after the victim reaches the age of majority.

I just saw a case - in court - where a little girl was the victim of an attempted kidnapping several years before and was still in therapy paid for by the perp with future therapy ordered by the court to also be paid (sort of open ended). She had not yet filed a civil action.

If an action hasn't yet been filed (or been filed but stayed),  it may make economic sense to wait until the perp has something to pay - which will be soon.

 

Then this could be a kinda worse case for the girl and her family. If this doesn't come out he signs early for 7 or maybe 8 figures. Now he may slide to the later rounds and sign for much less, or stay for his senior year.

So now the poor young girl may be a victim twice. First to the perp, then to a greedy press looking to sell newspapers and a misguided public opinion.

Her family is his family.

The #1 team losing their #1 pitcher is a baseball story.

This reporter has got it exactly right:

https://www.google.com/amp/www...1-year-old-girl/amp/

Here's irony. Or better, hypocrisy ....

"Don't forget, Ray (OSU president) was the same powerful administrator who stood in judgment of Penn State as head of the NCAA Executive Committee five years ago.

That committee slapped Penn State with a four-year bowl ban and a $60 million fine for similar crimes committed by former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. The difference being, at the time of the Penn State penalties, Sandusky had been arrested and three Penn State administrators were being investigated."

Will OSU lose a bunch of baseball scholarships for a few years? I'm sure there plenty who would argue they should.

OregonLive - Why we went with the story ...

http://www.oregonlive.com/beav...d_the_story_abo.html

They contacted Heimlich. They asked if he or a representative would like to respond. Heimlich ignored the request. He gets what he deserves.

RJM posted:

CaCO3Girl posted:

RJM posted:

While he's the top pitcher statistically he's rated as a top sixty pick. The difference between 30th and 60th is 2M versus 1M. 

And really how could anyone get by with just one Measly million!

The point is someone suggested he would sign for seven or eight figures. Only top picks get eight figures. He's not a top pick. Now he may not be a second round pick. 

I had read conflicting opinions as to where he would go. Apparently his stock had been rising with a coach saying he was the best college pitcher he had ever seen. 

It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the draft. I read a article that quoted his coach as saying he has been a great team mate, student, etc. 

https://twitter.com/Stitch_Hea...s/873341209904730112

That twitter feed was from yesterday.

RJM posted:

Here's irony. Or better, hypocrisy ....

"Don't forget, Ray (OSU president) was the same powerful administrator who stood in judgment of Penn State as head of the NCAA Executive Committee five years ago.

That committee slapped Penn State with a four-year bowl ban and a $60 million fine for similar crimes committed by former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. The difference being, at the time of the Penn State penalties, Sandusky had been arrested and three Penn State administrators were being investigated."

Will OSU lose a bunch of baseball scholarships for a few years? I'm sure there plenty who would argue they should.

Pretty sure other differences were:

1) Sandusky was an adult

2) Sandusky was an employee of Penn State

I am fuzzy on the details of Penn State, but  pretty sure administrators were held responsible due to not taking action when this was reported.

Heimlich was in no way connected to OSU, so this is not a fair comparison.

The lack of institutional control makes it a fair comparison. That the OSU president was involved in severe penalties while being unaware his own house is on fire is hypocrisy.

This story has me so conflicted on so many levels. When I first read the story I thought why is the Oregonian posting this story at this time? 

Then I thought why did Oregon state bring him into their program? 

Then I thought omg its  his family and the family has to watch this come out publically . I cant imagine how the girls parents felt seeing it come out publicly. 

Then I thought should he be forgiven if hes done his time and hopefully is trully well?

Then on baseball side OSU is really good and the rest of the roster who have worked so hard and will go to Omaha with this story surrounding it. 

I really feel very conflicted about this and dnt know what the right thing is .

In some ways I hope he stays home from Omaha but morally and ethically its tough. 

I wish the story never surfaced and not to protect him or baseball but because it made me just have a pit in my stomach about all of it.

I read why the Oregonian printed the article. I missed that link first time reading through it and I understand their reasons. 

I feel bad for both families The parents of the young man because relationships were ruined for ever. There is just something about the nature of the incident that really bothers me . 

I dont know the right answer. 

""He got two years of counseling and classes [due to his crimes]," the girl's mother told The Oregonian. "My daughter's life has been changed for the rest of her life." 

That had to be hard for them to see his huge success and their daughter is scarred . 

I have no peace about it. 

SomeBaseballDad posted:

RJM posted:

CaCO3Girl posted:

RJM posted:

While he's the top pitcher statistically he's rated as a top sixty pick. The difference between 30th and 60th is 2M versus 1M. 

And really how could anyone get by with just one Measly million!

The point is someone suggested he would sign for seven or eight figures. Only top picks get eight figures. He's not a top pick. Now he may not be a second round pick. 

I had read conflicting opinions as to where he would go. Apparently his stock had been rising with a coach saying he was the best college pitcher he had ever seen. 

It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the draft. I read a article that quoted his coach as saying he has been a great team mate, student, etc. 

I could see the dodgers making a move. Friedman is notorious for taking talent despite makeup/baggage issues when the price is good (matt bush, andrew toles for example).

RJM posted:

The lack of institutional control makes it a fair comparison. That the OSU president was involved in severe penalties while being unaware his own house is on fire is hypocrisy.

None of this happened while the kid was at OSU. I can understand holding their feet to the fire for bringing on a player who has this baggage, that's fine. But to say sanctions are necessary would put every school into "Minority Report" mode, which is ridiculous.

While my heart breaks for the victim in this case, I have to take a second for the parents of the young man. How do you balance your love for a child with knowing that that child committed such a horrible crime? And with the guilt of feeling that somehow, you could have/should have prevented it?

infielddad posted:

"Why not? Because it makes you uncomfortable? "

NO!  

Maybe you should not be so bold (trying to be diplomatic here) as to ask questions like this without knowing the background and life experiences of those to whom you direct such comments. This is not about me.

This site has never been about discussions of individual players.  There are plenty of sites where that is fair game. The HSBBW, to date, has not been one of them. This is one reason for my views.

I took the time to read the complete article in the Oregonian. In a pretty unusual move, the Oregonian chose to them write and publish a their follow up explanation on why they went forward with publishing the article.  After reading the  articles and a number of the comments, and then seeing this thread, I made the post I did because I do think there are important issues, many of them ethical, some potentially personal, and  felt this was not the place for the information to be popped into the site in  the way it was.

While I think it is unlikely, one reason I made the post I did related to the young girl and her family.  I don't know her exact age, now, but I sure as heck would not want her, or her family, to access this site (or others for that matter) and be confronted with discussions which arise from and may trigger unwelcome aspects from her personal experiences or those of her family.

 

 

 

 

 

This site has never been about discussions of individual players. There are plenty of sites where that is fair game. The HSBBW, to date, has not been one of them. This is one reason for my views.

tebow says, "Hi."   About 18 pages worth of "Hi."

Dominik85 posted:

SomeBaseballDad posted:

RJM posted:

CaCO3Girl posted:

RJM posted:

While he's the top pitcher statistically he's rated as a top sixty pick. The difference between 30th and 60th is 2M versus 1M. 

And really how could anyone get by with just one Measly million!

The point is someone suggested he would sign for seven or eight figures. Only top picks get eight figures. He's not a top pick. Now he may not be a second round pick. 

I had read conflicting opinions as to where he would go. Apparently his stock had been rising with a coach saying he was the best college pitcher he had ever seen. 

It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the draft. I read a article that quoted his coach as saying he has been a great team mate, student, etc. 

I could see the dodgers making a move. Friedman is notorious for taking talent despite makeup/baggage issues when the price is good (matt bush, andrew toles for example).

I don't think anyone gives a rat's ass who drafts Heimlich. The biggest victim is the girl, again. The next set of victims are his teammates. Heimlich is not a victim. He's a perpetrator. He abused a little girl. He failed to comply with the law as required for the rest of his life as a sexual predator.

Heimlich may have bigger issues than the draft. He failed to comply with updating his information. It's a federal offense.  His next uniform could be from State Penn. Baseball will do just fine and live on without him.

SanDiegoRealist posted:

RJM posted:

The lack of institutional control makes it a fair comparison. That the OSU president was involved in severe penalties while being unaware his own house is on fire is hypocrisy.

None of this happened while the kid was at OSU. I can understand holding their feet to the fire for bringing on a player who has this baggage, that's fine. But to say sanctions are necessary would put every school into "Minority Report" mode, which is ridiculous.

I don't have any problem with sanctions for any NCAA program who unknowingly recruits and brings a sexual predator into the campus environment. 

RJM posted:

Dominik85 posted:

SomeBaseballDad posted:

RJM posted:

CaCO3Girl posted:

RJM posted:

While he's the top pitcher statistically he's rated as a top sixty pick. The difference between 30th and 60th is 2M versus 1M. 

And really how could anyone get by with just one Measly million!

The point is someone suggested he would sign for seven or eight figures. Only top picks get eight figures. He's not a top pick. Now he may not be a second round pick. 

I had read conflicting opinions as to where he would go. Apparently his stock had been rising with a coach saying he was the best college pitcher he had ever seen. 

It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the draft. I read a article that quoted his coach as saying he has been a great team mate, student, etc. 

I could see the dodgers making a move. Friedman is notorious for taking talent despite makeup/baggage issues when the price is good (matt bush, andrew toles for example).

I don't think anyone gives a rat's ass who drafts Heimlich. The biggest victim is the girl, again. The next set of victims are his teammates. Heimlich is not a victim. He's a perpetrator. He abused a little girl. He failed to comply with the law as required for the rest of his life as a sexual predator.

Heimlich may have bigger issues than the draft. He failed to comply with updating his information. It's a federal offense.  His next uniform could be from State Penn. Baseball will do just fine and live on without him.

 

 

 

In interests of accuracy, according to the original story, the charges of not reporting was dropped because the local district attorney determined "insufficient evidence of Defendant's knowledge of Oregon reporting requirements."

That seems weird in and of itself.

Teaching Elder posted:

infielddad posted:

"Why not? Because it makes you uncomfortable? "

NO!  

Maybe you should not be so bold (trying to be diplomatic here) as to ask questions like this without knowing the background and life experiences of those to whom you direct such comments. This is not about me.

This site has never been about discussions of individual players.  There are plenty of sites where that is fair game. The HSBBW, to date, has not been one of them. This is one reason for my views.

I took the time to read the complete article in the Oregonian. In a pretty unusual move, the Oregonian chose to them write and publish a their follow up explanation on why they went forward with publishing the article.  After reading the  articles and a number of the comments, and then seeing this thread, I made the post I did because I do think there are important issues, many of them ethical, some potentially personal, and  felt this was not the place for the information to be popped into the site in  the way it was.

While I think it is unlikely, one reason I made the post I did related to the young girl and her family.  I don't know her exact age, now, but I sure as heck would not want her, or her family, to access this site (or others for that matter) and be confronted with discussions which arise from and may trigger unwelcome aspects from her personal experiences or those of her family.

 

 

 

 

 

This site has never been about discussions of individual players. There are plenty of sites where that is fair game. The HSBBW, to date, has not been one of them. This is one reason for my views.

 

tebow says, "Hi."   About 18 pages worth of "Hi."

I agree, this site has never been about the scrutiny of amateurs, in the negative sense, that is.

Tebow is a professional, which opens everyone up discussion.

I think the whole thing is strange, since when did reporters start running background checks on college players that they interview?

Doesn't it seem funny that about a half dozen teams are no longer interested in him?

This is just sad for everyone, the victim, the player, the families, the team, college sports.

RJM posted:

SanDiegoRealist posted:

RJM posted:

The lack of institutional control makes it a fair comparison. That the OSU president was involved in severe penalties while being unaware his own house is on fire is hypocrisy.

None of this happened while the kid was at OSU. I can understand holding their feet to the fire for bringing on a player who has this baggage, that's fine. But to say sanctions are necessary would put every school into "Minority Report" mode, which is ridiculous.

I don't have any problem with sanctions for any NCAA program who unknowingly recruits and brings a sexual predator into the campus environment. 

Well maybe someone will decide to take the law into their own hands and find this kid and off him. Given the vibe from your last couple of post the would bring you great pleasure.

Like Pappy O"Daniel I'm a forgive and forget kind of christian. The kid's coach spoke glowing of him. His teammates seem to be OK with him. By all accounts he's a different person. That said, when I think about this from the point of view of if it were my daughter I guess I would have little sympathy for the kid.

I have not read the entire thread. We've been bombarded with this for the entire weekend. I definitely have an opinion on whether is he should be playing or not. However, I think he has played his last college game. I do no think the reception for him will be quite so friendly in Omaha as it was in Corvallis if the team put him on the field.

That being said, I am very angry to learn OSU has no screening process in place for their athletes. As a parent, I've sent my kids to camps at OSU. While there, they work directly with the college athletes and are chaperoned by them at the overnight camps. My bad for assuming that these students (who are legal adults) were background checked before being left in charge of kids. Nobody from the media has addressed my question about whether he ever participated in any student camps.

He may have committed the crime as a kid, but he is an adult now and violated the law by not complying with the terms of his sentence. That is another mistake he'll have to live with.

SomeBaseballDad posted:

RJM posted:

SanDiegoRealist posted:

RJM posted:

The lack of institutional control makes it a fair comparison. That the OSU president was involved in severe penalties while being unaware his own house is on fire is hypocrisy.

None of this happened while the kid was at OSU. I can understand holding their feet to the fire for bringing on a player who has this baggage, that's fine. But to say sanctions are necessary would put every school into "Minority Report" mode, which is ridiculous.

I don't have any problem with sanctions for any NCAA program who unknowingly recruits and brings a sexual predator into the campus environment. 

Well maybe someone will decide to take the law into their own hands and find this kid and off him. Given the vibe from your last couple of post the would bring you great pleasure.

Like Pappy O"Daniel I'm a forgive and forget kind of christian. The kid's coach spoke glowing of him. His teammates seem to be OK with him. By all accounts he's a different person. That said, when I think about this from the point of view of if it were my daughter I guess I would have little sympathy for the kid.

He was convicted of being a sexual predator. He failed to follow the law requiring him to report and update his where abouts. I don't know how anyone can let a sexual predator slide on breaking the law. I'll bet he would never forget again after six months in prison. By the way the penalty is up to ten years for failure to update. Any odds the person who dropped the charge is an OSU grad?

I don't feel sorry for Heimlich in the least. I don't care if he was 13-15yos. The girl was 4-6. How many 13-15yo boys do you know who don't know better? I feel sorry for the real victim whose had a heinous crime against her brought back in the news. I also feel sorry for any woman who's been through the experience and had to deal with people expressing sympathy for the perpetrator.

This goes beyond the NCAA. Every college should have to work with local authorities to know if any of their students are sexual criminals. 

Let me ask a couple of questions. Did he serve his time? Is this a life time sentence? Let's not talk about what we think it should be. Let's not talk about what we want it to be. What was his sentence? Should he now be free to be employed? Legally is he a free man? Is he free to live?

So because he committed a crime when he was 15 and even though he served his time and was punished to the extent the law said he should be he now should never be employed. Should not be able to play college baseball. Should not be allowed to play professional baseball. I mean why don't we as a society just have him put to death and get it over with?

Should he have ever been allowed to be released back into society in the first place? No? Then fine but he was. Should convicted felons who serve their time be given an opportunity to make amends? Or should they be relegated to a life of banishment? They should never be given an opportunity to make amends. They should never be forgiven. They should never be given an opportunity to show they are not that person anymore. They should be banished. If that is the case, good God just put them to death and get it over with. Can a 15 year old be rehabilitated? Part of me says "Lock him up and never let him out." Part of me says "What did he endure as a child that caused him to do this." Part of me says "Who cares put him away."

But we don't make those decisions do we? Do we have a criminal justice system? Do we accept the rulings of that system? Do we say "Time Served" "Debt Paid" and see if they can make amends? Or is just over for that person? Regardless?

Heinous horrible crime that should never happen. And you don't want to hear what I think should happen to people who commit these types of crimes. BUT. What good is a criminal justice system if your going to release people back into society and then refuse to allow them to have a chance? Before anyone jumps on my about being insensitive to the victims in this case don't miss my point. No one should ever employ him. He shouldn't ever be able to play a sport again. He shouldn't be able to attend college. He can't ever get married and have children of his own. He should do what? Die? What do you want from him? How can the victim's ever move on if this man can't be allowed to move on?

What do I think should happen to him, should have happened to him? It doesn't matter I don't make the laws. He has already been given a sentence he will never escape. The least I believe we can do is give people a CHANCE to make up for past behavior. If were not going to do that then what is the point of ever releasing them back into society at all?

I am not in any way shape or form defending the behavior, crime, etc. I am just curious as to why we refuse to give to others or at least consider what we would beg for if the role was reversed.

You make a good point May.  Perhaps he should have just killed the little girl.  Society looks much more favorably upon that than it does upon touching them in certain ways.

A person can hit a child with a stray bullet in a drive by while shooting into a family, be out in 10, be rehabilitated, repentant and justified by the legal system and not have nearly the stigma attached to them.

We hate child molesters and predators.  But perhaps our hatred is a little irrational.

I don't know.  There is something that is fundamentally disturbing to us about sexually abusing children.  I am definitely glad that we have a strong societal aversion to it.

For better or worse, society has determined that certain crimes carry a long "tail" - in these cases, the long tail is the registration. A person on these lists can petition the court for removal - but it's tough and requires not only experts weighing in to support, but lots of money and time and will normally will get publicity during the process. A favorable ruling on removal from registration means a court - based upon expert testimony - has weighed the chances of a repeat offense with the burden that lifetime registration carries.

These types of crimes are also "iceberg" type events meaning if there are a few known events, there are typically lots of unknown similar events. (Even here, we have been told there were two events, though one was dropped as part of the plea agreement.) (Unfortunately learned about the topic, when an employee (teen) was charged, convicted and sent away.)  The iceberg is caused by the shame and intimidation victims and victims' families feel; virtually everyone will report a burglary, much fewer will report these types of crimes.

Conviction and punishment serves many express purposes: retribution, punishment, deterrence, rehabilitation and warning to society (I.e., registration after release).  If a societal warning is deemed necessary (it has and is pretty much confined to sex crimes), the warning is not accomplished by keeping it secret from those concerned.

The player isn't the only one laboring under a lifetime societal warning; so is every person convicted of a similar crime. There are no winners here - just losers, debris and heartache.

I think it's clear that something happened to this boy that he didn't know or care that what he was doing was wrong at the age of 15. I don't think his life should be over because of it....what's the point in a sentence if  you throw away the key?

CaCO3Girl posted:

I think it's clear that something happened to this boy that he didn't know or care that what he was doing was wrong at the age of 15. I don't think his life should be over because of it....what's the point in a sentence if  you throw away the key?

In the end, this is the absolute correct answer.  We don't make rules and punishments on the go, nor do we capriciously "Add to them."  If we don't feel as though the punishment fits the crime, then in times of dispassionate sensibility, we need to make changes.  That's how civilized and well functioning societies work.

You're ignoring he has not followed the agreement of his probation. He violated the law when he didn't update his information. It's a federal offense subject to ten years in jail. There's only one person whose fault it is he didn't update his information as required by law. Anything that has happened to himself this week he brought on himself with his own irresponsibility and disregard for the law.

As part of he plea deal one charge was dropped. He only receiced two years probation. He was supposed to serve forty days in juvenile hall. It didn't happen. He's supposed to keep legal authorities updated on his whereabouts by federal law. He sisnt do it. Now the charge of failure to report has been dropped. Maybe he's just a pampered athlete who doesn't understand the severity of his crime as people keep helping him avoid consequences.

I'm all for people getting a second chance. But the second chance involves following the rules. He failed to follow the rules. Then a local authority drops the charges (probably an OSU baseball fan). Does he deserve the opportunity to be a professional athlete? Sure, after he proves he's a decent, responsible human being. Right now I don't see it and people are letting him slide. 

RJM you will get no argument from me on understanding 100% how you feel about this. As a retired LEO I investigated these types of crimes and more numerous times. It is hard to explain but let me just say there are always mitigating circumstances that make each circumstance different in nature. And there is no way anyone is going to know all of them or even a portion of them unless they are privy to that information.

Reprehensible in nature are these types of cases. Again what I think the punishment should be is not important. Are we going to have a mob mentality in this nation? Are we simply going to put our own brand of justice out there? If we don't get what we feel the courts should give we simply sentence them ourselves by denying them the right to ever pursue anything worthwhile?

Yes the victim's are always sentenced along with the perpetrator. If that is going to mean that the convicted and many times accused only is going to be sentenced to a lifetime of banishment let the law be passed. I am speaking to Universities who deny acceptance. Employers who deny employment. Including MLB. Etc etc. What is the point of a sentence if the sentence never ends?

Now as far as him not registering then fine deal with the punishment. I want it to be clear how I am not defending this persons actions or making light of the offense. I hope I have done that. I am simply wondering if any of your son's or loved one's did something at 15 that was utterly reprehensible would you want him to have a glimmer of hope at redemption or would you close the book on them and expect others to as well?

God forbid we ever have to deal with that or ever have to be the part of the victim's family. But I really can't understand how one gets a life sentence at 15 outside of the criminal justice system. At least allow them a lifetime to make up what they can. Or simply give them no hope to ever do it.

RJM posted:

You're ignoring he has not followed the agreement of his probation. He violated the law when he didn't update his information. It's a federal offense subject to ten years in jail. There's only one person whose fault it is he didn't update his information as required by law. Anything that has happened to himself this week he brought on himself with his own irresponsibility and disregard for the law.

As part of he plea deal one charge was dropped. He only receiced two years probation. He was supposed to serve forty days in juvenile hall. It didn't happen. He's supposed to keep legal authorities updated on his whereabouts by federal law. He sisnt do it. Now the charge of failure to report has been dropped. Maybe he's just a pampered athlete who doesn't understand the severity of his crime as people keep helping him avoid consequences.

I'm all for people getting a second chance. But the second chance involves following the rules. He failed to follow the rules. Then a local authority drops the charges (probably an OSU baseball fan). Does he deserve the opportunity to be a professional athlete? Sure, after he proves he's a decent, responsible human being. Right now I don't see it and people are letting him slide. 

 

 

My kid forgets tests...he forgets projects....heck he really would forget his head if it wasn't attached.  This morning I forgot to take his baseball stuff out of my trunk before I left for work...people forget stuff. It doesn't mean they think they are better than others or above it all, it means they are human.

Also, people who report after the fact get those charges dropped ALL THE TIME.  It doesn't mean they are treating him special, they are following protocol. I've seen a lot in the criminal justice system, no one is treating him any differently than Joe Schmo....other than his college that is. If you read the original article it also says that he is registered so low on the list that his name isn't even searchable as a sex offender.  This was a paperwork snafu, we have all been there, and considering his age it's not surprising.

He's an adult. He can start acting like one. When did failure to report become a paper snafu? You're making excuses for him. Could you look the more of the victim in the eye and tell her what happened is way down on the sexual assault food chain? It's no big deal! I'm betting all the relatives don't think it's a big deal. When she pressed charges they shunned her. Come on! It's just boys being boys!

One of my elders did 27 years for murder.  Was born again after his victim's father, a pastor, forgave him there in prison.  He is as fine a man as you'd ever want to meet.  You'd never guess his past if he didn't tell you.

Do I feel like he should not have done time because he changed in his heart?  No sir.  He had a debt to pay to society.

 He has many incredible stories about others who became radically changed while in prison.  Former gang-bangers who we would now welcome gladly into our homes.  Others once filled with rage and hatred now filled with love.

Teaching in a prisons over the past 5 years or so, I have seen this first hand on a number of occasions.  Consider "El Diablo" as I call him.  He has a tattoo on about every inch of his body.  When they cast the role of Mexican gangster, he is their model. Truly menacing looking guy.  But to hear and see the obvious change in this guys heart was absolutely jaw dropping.  He's my brother now and would be welcome in my home or my church upon release.

The moral of the story is that people do change.

RJM posted:

He's an adult. He can start acting like one. When did failure to report become a paper snafu? You're making excuses for him. Could you look the more of the victim in the eye and tell her what happened is way down on the sexual assault food chain? It's no big deal! I'm betting all the relatives don't think it's a big deal. When she pressed charges they shunned her. Come on! It's just boys being boys!

I guess I'm uncomfortable with assuming that we can see into the hearts of others, whether it's the heart of the prosecutor who dropped the failure to report charge, the judge who assigned the original verdict, or the relatives who have supported the kid rather than the victim. And I certainly can't see into the heart or mind of a kid who committed the crime to begin with.

We know what's in the newspaper. That's it. And what comes out in the newspaper is shaped by who is willing to talk to you and what court records are available. It certainly isn't a complete picture of what went on six years ago, or a few weeks ago.

What I do see is that we are all in this thread very willing to judge the boy, the victim, the families, Oregon State, college baseball and the teams that might draft the kid, based on the pretty slim amount of information we have.

Isn't it better if, instead of speculating on things we can't know very much about, we instead hope for a resolution that allows the victim peace and healing, a productive and healthy future for the young man, and perhaps some improvement and more clarity in how college handle these situations in the future?

This story is kind of odd.  There were only two charges against him, but the first charge has a date within a window of a year.  So was it just once or was it multiple times during that year?  Plus, even for teenagers this is not uncommon.  So how bad was it that it had to be reported?  Especially to turn on ones own family.  I'm guessing it was multiple times and there were details much more serious than what the actual charges were.  The biggest clue into what's going on in this kid's mind is the fact that he failed to report.  He took it lightly, probably because he seemed to have had a great lawyer (1 dismissed charge and zero jail time).  The DA's excuse for not charging him is ridiculous.  I don't believe that all teen offenders should have to report for life and I don't know if he's one of those who should or not, but if he was in CA he'd be in jail now, 100%.  You have to pretty much die to be excused from not reporting on time.  Sometimes people get mixed up in different time zones, but this guy's been in Oregon for 2+ years, so he registered the year before and knows the routine.  I don't think Oregon should get blamed for this one.  Not all colleges run background checks and even those who do don't always deny acceptance based on it.  Colleges are liberal minded institutions, remember.  

RJM posted:

He's an adult. He can start acting like one. When did failure to report become a paper snafu? You're making excuses for him. Could you look the more of the victim in the eye and tell her what happened is way down on the sexual assault food chain? It's no big deal! I'm betting all the relatives don't think it's a big deal. When she pressed charges they shunned her. Come on! It's just boys being boys!

RJM, not sure we read the same article. It wasn't failure to report, here are excerpts from the article:

"A Benton County sheriff's sergeant, on a sweep to track down sex offenders who let their registrations lapse, located one at Gill Coliseum, the heart of Oregon State's bucolic campus."

"When he was cited in April for missing an annual update, it put the case in Oregon court records for the first time."

"Oregon State does not have a policy barring student-athletes with prior felony convictions from competition, Barnes said. And the athletic department, like the university at large, does not ask student-athletes to disclose criminal convictions during the admissions process"

"He was sentenced to 40 weeks of detention at Washington's Juvenile Rehabilitation authority. But that sentence was suspended and he served no time, according to court records, because he successfully completed probation."

"Heimlich was ordered to register as a Level 1 sex offender in Washington beginning Aug. 27, 2012. Washington characterizes Level 1 offenders as having "the lowest possible risk to the community and their likelihood to re-offend is considered minimal."

"The information is available to police but is not generally shared with the public unless someone calls Oregon State Police to ask."

"Heimlich was handed a criminal citation because he didn't report to authorities within 10 days of his most recent birthday. The Benton County District Attorney's Office dismissed the charge on May 17."Follow-up investigation reveals insufficient evidence of Defendant's knowledge of Oregon reporting requirements," Amie Matusko, a senior deputy district attorney, wrote in the dismissal."

"The NCAA has no policy barring convicted felons from intercollegiate play."

"I guess I'm uncomfortable with assuming that we can see into the hearts of others, whether it's the heart of the prosecutor who dropped the failure to report charge, the judge who assigned the original verdict, or the relatives who have supported the kid rather than the victim. And I certainly can't see into the heart or mind of a kid who committed the crime to begin with."

IowaMom23,

While I acknowledge your heart felt approach, I think you, and some others, are looking in the wrong places, but understandably now the press coverage and this thread begins to focus the discussion in one arena.

The focus, in my view, remains that young girl, her future and likely struggles to live within the challenges of what happened TO her.

I personally have a very different view when it comes to supporting this young adult in "forgetting" and any analogy being provided to support his "forgetting." 

The real victim, more than likely, won't forget.

In fact, the impact of the trauma will likely envelop her life, her relationships (or lack of them) and her ability to function when she becomes a teenager and then struggles into adulthood.

"Effects of Child Sexual Abuse on Victims

For victims, the effects of child sexual abuse can be devastating. Victims may feel significant distress and display a wide range of psychological symptoms, both short- and long-term.  They may feel powerless, ashamed, and distrustful of others. The abuse may disrupt victims’ development and increase the likelihood that they will experience other sexual assaults in the future.  

Good article looking at a lot of the angles ...

http://www.oregonlive.com/spor...dive_on_why_the.html

Heres how it ends ...

I don't wish for Heimlich to die, or rot, or never be allowed to better himself. I don't know how anyone could draw that conclusion. I feel awful for the victim of his crime. I think about her first. I pray for her. And I know she's in for a long recovery. She had her childhood stolen. She will deal with this for life. Long after that child, I think about the person who victimized her. The only positive that can come from this story is that Heimlich lives a long, productive life that has meaning. That he looks back at age 90 and realizes that he's overcome a horrible crime and done the best he could. The meaning in his life does not rely upon baseball. When you make it about that, you minimize the value of his life.

This is not a teenager forgetting to turn in his homework. This is an adult failing to register as a sex offender. The law gives all of us the right to know the identity of sexual predators. What we do with that information is our choice - but make no mistake, it is your and my right to have that information. Should he never be able to attend college or hold a job? Of course not. But should he be denied the opportunity to represent his school as a scholarship athlete on the national stage and play a professional sport where he will potentially be expected to be a role model for kids? Absolutely. Some acts are so heinous that they should haunt the perpetrator for the rest of their lives. We spend so much time talking to our boys about the importance of character. If there are no meaningful consequences of this deeply disturbing behavior for his baseball career then what message does that send?

I'm not on board with Heimlich shouldn't be allowed to play pro baseball. But there's a lot of good perspective in this article. From a woman's perspective ....

http://www.beyondtheboxscore.c...-against-women-draft

"He does not apologize for the incident. Heimlich is basically trying to make this go away. He claims he’s become a better person, and some people may think that’s worthy of a second chance. I implore you to remember that this little girl does not get a second chance, and that she does not get the opportunity to start over. She will have to work for years to overcome the fear of this happening again. Her trust in others has probably been irreparably damaged, and yet we should forget about that because he has a good changeup?"