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Rape Culture (And Athletic Privilege) II

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This analysis of the Devil Ray’s signing of Josh Lueke should be read in its entirety, not least for this QOTD:

Distilling events like this to “he said, she said” has its appeal for many people, mostly men and usually idiots.

As a case in point, he links to this terrific and depressing article about Jerramy Stevens.  The Stevens case is a disgrace for a number of institutions, including the alma mater of this blog’s founders.    There’s so much telling detail in the article that it defies summary.    But I think this description of the actions of Seattle DAs after Stevens was credibly accused of sodomizing young woman.   The almost certain victim’s account was backed up by forensic evidence and multiple eyewitness accounts, but Stevens was a football star, so King County prosecutors (who were furious that the police had arrested Stevens at all) swung into action:

The next day, a deputy prosecutor told police an interview had been arranged, according to police reports. But, he said, the prosecutor’s “front office” had agreed to certain conditions negotiated by Stevens’ attorney, Mike Hunsinger. First, the interview had to be in Hunsinger’s office. Second, Parker, the case’s lead detective, could not ask questions. Only the prosecutor would be allowed to do that.

Parker protested to her sergeant. It was her case. She knew the evidence best. She didn’t want to be cut out of the questioning. Parker’s sergeant didn’t like the deal, either. But if prosecutors considered the interview so crucial, the sergeant was willing to relent.

But, hours later, the deputy prosecutor told Parker of yet another condition: Maleng’s office had agreed to give crucial police evidence — the victim and witness statements — to Stevens’ lawyers before the interview.

The Seattle Police Department’s standard operating procedures allowed no such thing. If a suspect enters an interview with police file in hand, he can tailor his story to the facts already gathered. Suspects get to see the evidence after being charged, not before.

What would have been a worthless interrogation anyway was never conducted, and Stevens was never even charged (and was then allowed by the University of Washington to play in the Rose Bowl.   And why not, since the team also had someone who had repeatedly assaulted his wife and another who had been identified by fingerprint evidence as a suspect in a shooting.)    He was then inexplicably drafted by the Seahawks in the first round, although in a case of delayed karma he did far more to cost them the Super Bowl than the much-maligned officials.   During this period, he was given several wrist-slaps for DUI, and earlier this year Stevens (who in high school had stomped on the face of an unconscious student, breaking his jaw) was arrested for battery.   Heckuva job!

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