Mike DeWine Turns Steubenville Trial Into Campaign Opportunity

By On March 18, 2013 · 10 Comments

2014 is right around the corner and seasoned politician Mike DeWine is looking for any opportunity to get himself in front of a camera.   This week it’s the Steubenville rape trial where Ohio’s Attorney General revealed that he learned something new about Ohio law in the past two months.

After  yesterday’s rape conviction of two Steubenville teens, DeWine held a press conference with the two attorneys from his office who prosecuted the case, using the opportunity to   his opinion on rape (it’s bad) and also to announce his plans to pursue possible charges against others who failed to report the crime.

DeWine appeared on CNN this afternoon and reiterated his plan, saying “In Ohio, it’s a crime to fail to report a felony if you know that has occurred.”

Interestingly, before this trial began, DeWine seemed to believe the exact opposite.

Back in January, DeWine told reporters that “…observers of a crime aren’t always legally obliged to intervene. ‘It’s horrible. It’s insensitive.  It’s hard to understand, but it may not be a crime’.”

Plunderbund took DeWine to task for this statement, politely reminding him about Ohio Revised Code § 2921.22, which makes it a fourth degree misdemeanor to “knowingly fail to report” a felony to the authorities.

We’re glad we could help.

And we’re also glad DeWine got something more from the Steubenville trial than just a press opportunity.

 

 

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  • danngoingdown

    big difference between trying to stop a crime and failing to report it.

    other states have tried to do forced samaritan laws with bad results.

    stop lying to your readers

  • Mike Evans

    @danngoingdown: You are the one who should stop lying to the readers of Plunderbund!
    Neither DeWine nor Plunderbund have stated that one is obligated to “try to stop a crime”, as you suggest. What DeWine did say is that “observers of a crime aren’t always legally obliged to intervene.” However, the Ohio Revised Code states that it is a crime (a fourth degree misdemeanor) to “knowingly fail to report” a felony that has been or is being committed (ORC 2921.22). Thus, observers of the rape were required to report it (e.g., by calling 911). I’m sure that Joseph would graciously accept your apology, but I doubt if one is forthcoming.

  • amyvav

    I watched his original press conference fm Steubenville just after court adjourned. I got the impression that he is looking at more aspects of this than just failure to report. Don’t forget these kids were drinking in peoples’ homes and driving from house to house. Also, DeWine seemed very angry with the people who refused to be interviewed during the investigation. He made it plain that his office is pursuing a number of matters. I anticipate fallout fm a number of directions. Plus, the prosecutor is reporting serious death threats to her family and two girls were arrested today for threatening the victim.

    Much of this may very well be campaign motivated. Regardless, it’s far from over and can only get uglier from here. Thanks, as always, for your clear reporting of an emotional issue.

  • a w

    It was my understanding that it was between 27 out of 45 people out of the party they tracked down refused to cooperate citing various reasons.

  • xyz9763218

    Remember Dewhine wouldn’t have done anything had it not been for Anonymous. Fuck Dewhine, Yea Anonymous.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Carrie-Preston/100000765994211 Carrie Preston

    If yous take the total $ that has been spent on jobs Ohio and put it toward the salaries of teachers laid off by budget cuts to the schools. You could say 55.000. per teacher(I know that is not including the cost for their insurance etc… ) you would recreate over 213 jobs. Has jobs Ohio created that many jobs yet?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id= Bull S. Meter

    Joseph, I don’t think he was pandering when he acknowledged that this crime was not limited to what happened in Steubenville and probably happens every Friday and Saturday night around the country. The fact that he’s asking for grand jury investigation tells you he means business. Dewine is putting politics aside here and doing the right thing. A friend of mine told me if you want one Republican on your side, Dewine is the guy you want.

  • Johnnybegood

    Mr. DeWine makes it appear that he is very interested in felonious activity and that such be reported. He has been aware of an ongoing corrupt activities enterprise, however, that has ripped off Brown County residents for over ten years, and he still fails to do anything about it. In fact his office has helped to protect its existence through the power and authority of his position as AG, because it is his fellow Republicans that created and have continued the enterprise with the help of the Republican-dominated court system, and county prosecutor’s office.

  • Retrofuturistic

    Since DeWine is an anti-abortion, anti-gay, Tea Party Republican who has endorsed people like Rick Santorum and Harriet Miers, I expected him to take the side of the rapists, while pandering to the people of influence in Steubenville. Am glad to hear he’s on top of this, but I still wouldn’t vote for him. The Christian Republican Party is a disease that is destroying Ohio and enabling the kind of culture that victimized this girl.

  • danngoingdown

    what do you think intervene means. intervene does not mean report. intervene means stop, interject, physiscally try to stop a crime. ohio doesn’t have a law like that and jurisdictions that have had them have repealed them. they don’t work.

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