Saturday, March 31, 2007

A Tearful Riley Stands Before The Judge

He cries now, but he should have been crying when someone put the belt on his butt years ago.

The only reason he is crying now is because he got caught.

Do not let his actions fool you. he is playing to the court and the public.

Below is another article from the Athens, Ohio newspaper, "The Post Online."

Stifling tears and being comforted by family, 13-year-old Andrew Riley could only listen as lawyers and a juvenile court judge discussed his unusual case yesterday.

Riley, the Nelsonville juvenile who recently has received national media attention, faces 26 counts of theft, burglary and other crimes. Those 26 counts comprise more than 140 total charges, including 120 related to four stolen checkbooks.

Because he cannot be charged as an adult, conviction on one or all of the 14 felonies could remand Riley to the Department of Youth Services until his 21st birthday or could result in some sort of suspended commitment, such as probation, said Athens County Prosecutor C. David Warren.

Public defender James Wallace, Riley’s court-appointed attorney, filed a motion yesterday to close the hearings from “all persons other than the parties and their attorneys” — a gag order that would prevent the public and the media from attending court proceedings related to the case.

The motion states that “obviously inaccurate publicity” and “its unusual intensity” merit the state to close the proceedings. The motion will be discussed at a 2 p.m. hearing today in Judge Robert Stewart’s courtroom.

Wallace, both at the hearing and in the motion, said media coverage of the case has been inaccurate and wrote that “(the story) certainly does not call for the vilification which has been rained on the 13-year-old.”

That includes Riley being referred to as a “vicious little miscreant” on one Web site for his alleged role in about nine incidents, ranging from a theft at a Nelsonville cafe to a first-degree misdemeanor charge of intimidating a witness.

Before the pretrial hearing began, other members of Riley’s family criticized the media attention, saying the 13-year-old has been convicted before trial. Family members declined to comment further.

Riley has spent the last 30 days in a juvenile detention center. Magistrates denied two previous attempts to have him released to his family. Wallace filed another motion, this time proposing to place him with Judith Riley, the boy’s maternal grandmother. If the motion were granted, Riley would live in his grandmother’s three-bedroom trailer in Marshfield and wear an electronic monitoring system. An uncle that lives nearby would also help.

“It would maximize time he has with family members,” Wallace said. “He can live again as a 13-year-old.”

Riley’s residence, where his mother and her boyfriend live, is without a telephone and would be ineligible for placement. If he were released, he would be allowed one call to his mother per week.

Assistant County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn, who is prosecuting the case, said the state is worried that the grandmother would be unable to “control the situation” and that representatives of Riley’s former school could testify to the danger of his release.


He needs to stay in jail until the trial and if found guilty, kept in jail as long as legally possible.

6 comments:

W.R. Chandler said...

"other members of Riley’s family criticized the media attention, saying the 13-year-old has been convicted before trial."

Are they saying that he is innocent?

Jeesh

Texas Truth said...

chanman: In Texas, all criminals and their relatives say they are innocent, there was a misunderstanding, or some such other nonsense.

The jails and prisons are filled with innocent people. No body in prison is guilty. YEA...RIGHT!!!

What do you want to bet that Riley's parents and relatives are Democrats?

Anonymous said...

This case is another example of why I do not like laws which sez he is too young to be tried as an adult.
I think if a young person is charged with a crime, it should go first to juvenile court - but the state should be able to ask for the charges to be moved to superior court, no matter the age of the defendant. Whehter they are tried as an adult should depend on the crime(s).

Texas Truth said...

marvin: I agree. If you do an adult crime, the authorities should have the option to have you tried in an adult court.

He should spend some time in an adult jail and everyone can see how “bad” he really is.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps before you judge the system and the person, you should research a little more than how you feel. I highly doubt any of you would be any different had you been raised in his situation.

You want to kill a kid (yes, kill, because that's what would happen to him anywhere but the place he's staying right now) because he was raised in poor conditions with poor instruction? You're pathetic.

God forbid we try to help him. God forbid we ask ourselves what can be done in the country and community to avoid these things in the future. If you really think watching a child be raped and beaten in prison is going to be a magical fix, you're as off as he is.

Texas Truth said...

Ohio: You say I am PATHETIC!!! WOW...That really says a great deal.

I do not believe I said anywhere that this little criminal should be killed. What I did say was that if he did an adult crime he should get an adult punishment.

I have seen young people do this time and time again. Act remorseful, cry a few tears and everyone will feel sorry for you.

I tell you what, since you have such a kind heart and obviously feel he would be placed "In Harms Way" if he did goes to an adult prison, would you feel comfortable if he moved in with you?

As a matter of fact, in my many years as a teacher, I have seen students come from far more difficult family situations and turn out great.

I happen to believe that people make their own choices and if they CHOOSE to make ADULT decision that is wrong, they should face ADULT consequences.

Yes, if he was raped or beaten in prison; that would be terrible. However if this young criminal had been instilled with a bid more fear in his life, perhaps he would have turned out differently.

I happen to think it is not the job of any country or community to make sure these things don't happen in the future. Put the government in charge of everything and let them handle everyone's problems.

What would happen next...perhaps socialized medicine or medical care for criminal aliens or free health care for single unwed mothers. OH WOW...we already have that. I guess you are right. Let the little angel out. He just made a mistake. But I guarantee there are more people out there that believe that rules should be followed, society demands a certain respect for others, and this young criminal should do ADULT punishment. If you had done these crimes...how much time do you think you would have received?

I will not call you PATHETIC as you did others who posted on this forum. But you are living in a different world with a different color sky. The world is a harsh place and people need to be held accountable for their actions, no matter their age or conditions in their life.

I am glad that there are many more people out there that think like I do than think like you. I shutter to think what would happen if many like him were allowed to roam free?