After days of agonizing, in late July of 2008, I signed a plea agreement drafted by my attorney and the DA. I received a 60 day suspended sentence with supervised probation for 18 months. 18 months was the minimum amount for the state I live in. In addition to the standard probationary terms, the following terms also applied:
- I had to participate in an anger management program at a local counseling and treatment center. I’ll talk more on this later, but I basically got scammed.
- I was not to possess any sexually stimulating or sexually oriented materials. I would agree to allowing warrantless searches my home and computer by the probation officer and if any such materials were found, it would be a probation violation.
- I would under go drug testing as required by the probation officer.
- I would remain away from the “victim” and her family.
- I agreed to have no unsupervised contact with any child under the age of 16 during my probation, except for my own children.
- I would pay restitution in the amount of $2000.00 during the period of probation. This was supposedly to pay for the “victims” counseling. I tried very hard to get this removed from the agreement, but the DA and “victim’s” family flat our refused.
- I would be allowed to travel out of state for work
- All of the items removed from my home during the initial search warrant would be returned. This included computers, tapes of my children being born, family photos and a number of other items.
- My original charges would be dismissed.
Taking this plea was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever faced. I wanted to believe in the system and know that an innocent man wouldn’t be found guilty. But given my experiences over the past year, I knew that was not the case. I could see very clearly how someone who had done nothing wrong, could find themselves in jail and their life as they knew it over.
My employer would allow me to continue to work with plea agreement terms as well, which was a critical factor for me. I finally decided that in order to end this for my family and not risk their futures, I would need to ding mine. People would think what they wanted regardless of my decision. The only people that mattered to me were my family and my God.
I signed the plea sometime at the end of July, and agreed to it in court on on Wednesday, August 13th. Court was horrible, but I’ll save that story for another day.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Your updated site looks great!!! I understand completely why you HAD to take a plea. Mike was offered 11-18 months and refused because he was innocent. He now is serving 8-16 years! God Bless you and keep you strong. I must believe there is a reason behind all of this and pray your website opens the eyes to many and perhaps the next time a jury decides to deliberate, they will think twice about cases without evidence and just words. This happens every single day in America and thousands are in prison falsely accused, many, many of them on false sexual assault charges. God Bless you for your work and advocacy. You will be blessed for sharing your story.
Rape accusations are big money for the District Attorney. They will spend about a million dollars on one trial. It is not about people, it is all about money. In the case of Jesus they used false witnesses to put him to death.
44 YOU are from YOUR father the Devil, and YOU wish to do the desires of YOUR father. That one was a manslayer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of [the lie].