I’ve been blogging to you the importance of the decisions you make and how they shape and direct your life. Last year on March 17th, a judge announced that the defendants in the Steubenville rape trial were found guilty.
Last month, Ma’lik Richmond, 17 years old, was released out of the detention center after serving nine months of one year sentence.
Ma’lik Richmond and Trent Mays were found guilty of sexually assaulting a female acquaintance while she was severely intoxicated. The court case rocked the town of Steubenville, Ohio. Let’s be clear…I’m not blogging about guilt or innocence, or right and wrong…I’m blogging about decisions.
There are so many contributing factors that happened wrong on the evening of August 11th …and it all landed in the lap of these 16 & 17-year-old teenagers. Two star football players and a 16-year-old girl, who was drunk out of her mind…to the point where didn’t remember anything that happened to her. She was in Ohio, miles away from her home in West Virginia. At times, because she was so drunk, she didn’t have any idea where she was or who she was with. The court found the two star football players Ma’lik 16 and Trent 17 guilty of exploiting the girl by taking naked pictures with her and “digitally penetrating” her. These events on the night of August 11th will forever change these 3 lives.
So let’s think about this:
Both teens received a 1 year incarceration and the possibility of being categorized as registered sex offenders for the rest of their lives.
The football futures of both teen football careers are quite possibly over.
Someone close to the case possibly and attorney named, Lipps stated, “Delinquent beyond a reasonable doubt on all three counts as charged.” The verdict is the equivalent of a guilty verdict in adult court.
Someone close to the case possibly and attorney named, Lipps stated, “Delinquent beyond a reasonable doubt on all three counts as charged.” The verdict is the equivalent of a guilty verdict in adult court.
In earlier testimony, two former friends of the girl told the court in testimony for the defense that she had a reputation as a liar.
It’s awful…Ma’lik’s life is forever changed…and the victim doesn’t even remember what happened. She will always be the girl who was assaulted, but her identity will remain concealed.
Ma’lik and Trent were sentenced to a minimum of one year. Lipps said that the Ohio Department of Youth services will rule on whether Mays and Richmond will be detained longer, adding it will depend on their behavior and their progress in rehabilitation. Both could have remained incarcerated until they are 21.
I have some questions…not for you to answer but to think about:
There was a number of teenagers at this party drinking. How was it possible that all of the underage drinking was allowed?
There was a number of teenagers at this party drinking. How was it possible that all of the underage drinking was allowed?
This party went on for hours with no adult supervision, where were the owners of the house when all this partying occurred? The young woman who was “digitally penetrated”…where were her friends?
She was from another state…did her parents know where their daughter was going?
Now…let talk about parents, specifically your parents and those annoying questions they ask you. Have you heard your mother or father, someone that cares about you ask… “Where you are going?” “Who are you going with?” “When can I meet your friend?” Parents ask these questions because of circumstances that you could possibly end up in. They ask these questions to help you make the right decision about a person, or activity etc. Maybe they recognize something that they don’t want you to get involved with…maybe they love you and they don’t want you to make a mistake.
After the verdict was read, Ma’lik Richmond turned to his lawyer, Walter Madison, and said, “My life is over.“
1BadDecision
Learn from Ma’lik…
Middle Passage Mentor 
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