Media Coverage 3/4/13: 85,000 Petitions Delivered to Attorney General: Women‘s Groups Demanding AG Charge Michael Nodianos for Failure to Report a Crime:
Action by Ohio-National Organization for Women & UltraViolet
1) NBC-Channel 4 News – WATCH VIDEO:
* Video: Groups Push for Charges Against Man Who Joked About Rape Victim http://www.nbc4i.com/story/21475746/groups-push-for-charges-against-man-who-joked-about-rape-victim
Outrage continues to build as the trial for the Steubenville rape case approaches.
DeWine told the group that present law only makes it a misdemeanor for failing to report a felony. He said Nodianos didn’t have first-hand knowledge of the rape.
**** Important Note: Ohio law Revised Code 2921.22 does NOT require “first hand knowledge” of a felony to be held liable for failing to report a crime (there’s nothing in the statute that says that “first hand knowledge” is required to prosecute for Failure to Report a Crime.”
Ohio Law, Revised Code § 2921.22 (A)(1) states: “No person, knowing that a felony has been or is being committed, shall knowingly fail to report such information to law enforcement authorities. Whoever violates division (A) or (B) of this section is guilty of failure to report a crime.” http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2921.22
Rape is a felony under Ohio Law, Revised Code §2907.02. http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2907.02
2) Channel 10-TV News – WATCH VIDEO: 3/4/13
** See 1:22 — UltraViolet is mentioned on the video !
* Video: Women’s Group Protests Lack Of Charges Related To Steubenville Rape Case YouTube Video
The Ohio National Organization for Women held a protest in Columbus Monday over a high-profile rape case.
The group said it is upset that an 18-year-old has not been charged for not reporting an alleged crime.
“They can’t degrade girls and women this way and make a joke of it and be on Youtube and get away with it,” said Jacqueline Hillyer, Ohio NOW president.
Members of the Ohio National Organization of Women and UltraViolet, a national equal rights group, were referring to jokes made about the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl at a series of parties in Steubenville back in August.
“There is overwhelming evidence in the 12-minute video that (the individual) knew that the young girl had been raped,” said Ohio NOW president Jacqueline Hillyer. Hillyer used the full name of the 18-year-old, but WBNS-10TV has only identified him as Michael
DeWine said…. that if a person is found to be guilty, they will be prosecuted.
3) CBS-Channel 7 News- WTRF – WATCH VIDEO
Women’s Group to Present Attorney General With Petition Demanding Prosecution of Steubenville Teen
An Ohio women’s group is gathering Monday at the Attorney General’s office to present with a petition with over 85,000 signatures.
Ohio’s National Organization for Women President, Jacqueline Hillyer, will attempt to meet with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine to demand that he enforce Ohio law by charging the 18 year-old man, Michael Nodianos, who is allegedly involved in the Steubenville Rape Case, with Failure to Report a Crime.
The women’s group says in a release that Under Ohio law, failing to report a felony is a crime, and rape is a felony. The petition demands the prosecution of Nodianos, who was shown laughing at the 16 year old rape victim in a 12-minute video.
Nodianos’ attorney Dennis McNamara says he only saw the girl leave with two individuals.
Hillyer further explained in the release, “Charging Nodianos with Failure to Report a Crime will help to fight rape culture that says that rape is a joke, sexual assault is not a serious crime, and violence against women is socially acceptable.”
The group says that prosecution will also help prevent sexual assault by showing that society does not condone rape, which in turn will create peer pressure and political pressure on bystanders to intervene.
4) Columbus Dispatch
Groups gather more than 85,000 signatures advocating additional prosecution in Steubenville case – 3/4/13
“It’d be unfair to focus on one individual, but we’ve had dozens of investigations in Steubenville for a long time,” DeWine said.
Groups gather more than 85,000 signatures advocating additional prosecution in Steubenville case
By: Sara Jerde The Columbus Dispatch – March 04, 2013 2:03 PM
Days before the trial for two boys charged with raping a Steubenville High School classmate begins, more than 85,000 signatures have been gathered to support prosecuting one more.
Ohio National Organization for Women and UltraViolet, a women advocacy group, and Ohio State University students delivered the petitions today urging Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine to charge Michael Nodianos with failure to report a crime — a fourth degree misdemeanor in Ohio.
In a 12-minute video posted online, Nodianos was filmed saying repeatedly, “they raped her.”
The case was taken over by DeWine and has garnered a large amount of attention online, and contributed to the popular mindset that rape is okay and prosecuting Nodianos would help diminish those beliefs, said Jacqueline Hillyer, NOW president.
“These young boys are given to believe that rape is a joke. There has to be law enforcement,”Hillyer said.
DeWine, who is leading the prosecution, agreed rape isn’t a crime taken as seriously as he’d hope, but he said it’s because of the mindset, not the law.
“It’s not a law problem,” DeWine said. “We have laws in the books to prosecute people for the crime of rape…But we all have an obligation to change a culture.”
DeWine has conducted about 40 interviews in Steubenville and is processing the evidence to see whether pursuing additional prosecutions is necessary.
“It’d be unfair to focus on one individual, but we’ve had dozens of investigations in Steubenville for a long time,” DeWine said.
5) Cleveland Plain Dealer
Ohio NOW to deliver petition today to Ohio attorney general demanding prosecution of Steubenville rape case witness
http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/03/ohio_now_to_deliver_petition_t.html
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Members of the Ohio National Organization for Women plan to deliver a petition today to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office demanding that a teen recorded joking about an alleged rape be prosecuted for not reporting the crime.
Jacqueline Hillyer, president of Ohio NOW, says in a news release the petition has more than 85,000 signatures. Hillyer and women from NOW and UltraViolet plan to rally at Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office at noon today, hoping to meet with him and ask that he charge Michael Nodianos, 18, for failing to report a felony.
“Ohio NOW and three other national groups sent a letter to DeWine in January calling upon him to enforce the rule of law and charge Nodianos, but DeWine has not done so,” Hillyer said in the news release. “DeWine can command the respect of the nation by sending a strong message that Ohio law will be enforced, and that the crime of rape will be taken seriously.”
6) Toldedo Blade & Newark Advocate (same article)
DeWine urged to bring more charges in Steubenville rape case
Excerpts
COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine met today with a group of people urging him to expand prosecutions associated with a Steubenville rape trial to include people who may have witnessed what happened and did nothing to stop it.
“He was joking about it, and that’s bad enough, but the fact that he did nothing to intervene…,” said Jacqueline Hillyer, of Ashtabula, president of the Ohio chapter of National Organization for Women. “He was apparently there because he knew what was going on. He said she’s been raped… and he goes on to describe some of the activities that were fairly disgusting. There must have been other people. Where were the girls?”
Mr. Nodianos was recorded describing and laughing about the alleged rape of an unconscious girl during the parties. The video was quickly taken down, but was later resurrected by the computer hacking group Anonymous and reposted to the Internet.
7) Herald Star & Weirton Daily Times (same article) 3/4/13
Developing: Petition delivered to DeWine
http://www.hsconnect.com/page/content.detail/id/583898/Developing–Petition-delivered-to-DeWine.html?nav=5010
also see:
http://www.weirtondailytimes.com/page/content.detail/id/596133/Developing–Petition-delivered-to-DeWine.html?nav=5006
Excerps from article:
STEUBENVILLE – The president of Ohio National Organization for Women hopes a petition concerning the Steubenville High School rape case handed to Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine Monday is another chip at the culture of athletes and sexual assault is seen in a 12-minute YouTube video making comments about the alleged rape. His attorney, Dennis McNamara in January said Nodianos wasn’t at the house where the alleged rape occurred.
But the women’s organizations want the Ohio Attorney General to prosecute Nodianos for failing to report a crime.
“Our position is rape is not a juvenile crime. It is a felony,” she said, adding she understands first-time offenders under state law have the opportunity for rehabilitation in the juvenile system.
“We are asking that people who had knowledge (of the alleged rape) and didn’t report the crime be prosecuted. He (Nodianos) made a joke out of it. It was horrible and disgusting,” she said.
Hillyer said the women’s organizations are “chipping away at the culture” of society idolizing athletes who brag about sexual assaults.
“We need to get to the culture of care and a sense of human decency of not taking advantage of others. We need to transfer away from a system that glorifies violence,” she said.
Hillyer said the women’s groups will be watching for a change in the educational system through state legislation that brings awareness to sexual assault.
8) The Inquisitor 3/4/13
Ohio NOW Steubenville Rape Case Petition Demanding Prosecution Of Witness Going To AG DeWine
http://www.inquisitr.com/554880/ohio-now-steubenville-rape-case-petition/
Steubenville, OH – Ohio NOW is planning on delivering a petition to Attorney General Mike DeWine calling for the prosecution of a Steubenville rape case witness. The Ohio branch of the National Organization of Women wants the teenager who joked about the alleged rape on a recording posted online to also face criminal charges.
A news release from Ohio NOW President Jacqueline Hillyer indicates more than 85,000 residents have signed the petition. Members of both the National Organization of Woman branch in the Buckeye State and the group UltraViolet will hold a rally on Monday. The groups plan to converge outside Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office in Columbus at noon.
The protestors are hoping to meet with DeWine to plead their case for levying charges against the 18-year-old witness. UltraViolet and National Organization of Women members believe Michael Nodianos should face criminal penalties for his alleged failure to report a felony.
9) Examiner 3/2/13
Monday: Rally and petition to charge Michael Nodianos in Steubenville rape case
http://www.examiner.com/article/monday-rally-and-petition-to-charge-michael-nodianos-steubenville-rape-case
Article Excerpts:
Monday, March 4, the Ohio chapter of the National Organization for Women will be delivering 85,000 petitions to Ohio Attorney General Mike Dewine, asking him to charge Michael Nodianos, who laughed and joked on social media about the gang rape by Steubenville high school football players.
NOW has joined with Justice for Children, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the feminist group UltraViolet in sending a letter concerning the Steubenville rape case to Mike DeWine. The letter urges DeWine to investigate and file criminal charges against the man shown laughing at a rape victim in the now-infamous video, for failure to report a crime under Ohio law.
10) Weirton Daily Times
Women’s groups demanding action from Ohio Attorney General 3/2/13
http://www.weirtondailytimes.com/page/content.detail/id/595993/Women-s-groups-demanding-action-from-Ohio-Attorney-General.html?nav=5006
COLUMBUS – Two women’s groups are expected to present Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine a petition Monday containing more than 85,000 signatures demanding Michael Nodianos of Steubenville, who is seen in a YouTube video making comments about an alleged rape involving fellow students, be prosecuted.
11) Times Leader 3/2/13
DeWine to receive petitions Women’s groups want Nodianos prosecuted
COLUMBUS – Two women’s groups are expected to present Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine a petition Monday containing more than 85,000 signatures demanding Michael Nodianos of Steubenville, who is seen in a YouTube video making comments about an alleged rape involving fellow students, be prosecuted.
“To many, it feels like time is running out for action. The women’s petition specifically demands that AG DeWine prosecute anyone who may have known about this crime and did nothing to stop it – including Michael Nodianos,” the press release stated.
12) Ohio NOW To Deliver Petition to Ohio AG Demanding Prosecution of Michael Nodianos #SteubenvilleOhio 3/4/13 http://bustedbitchesandinternetstalkers.com/2013/03/04/ohio-now-to-deliver-petition-to-ohio-ag-demanding-prosecution-of-michael-nodianos-steubenvilleohio/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ohio-now-to-deliver-petition-to-ohio-ag-demanding-prosecution-of-michael-nodianos-steubenvilleohio
NBC-Channel 3 News: WKYC-TV AG: More charges possible after Steubenville rape trial http://www.wkyc.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=287065
At least three other students witnessed the encounter and still others apparently knew about it. Hacker-activist groups and women’s advocacy organizations have questioned why people who knew about the rape weren’t charged under an Ohio law requiring people to report crimes of which they’re aware.