Two teachers have now been arrested in connection with a Los Angeles sex crimes case where they are accused of abusing young students during school hours, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney Vincent Howard would warn members of the public not to jump to conclusions when they learn about an arrest through the news media. These stories often only report what is being put out by the police and school officials and the stories usually don't include any significant facts in defense of the suspect.
Regardless of the type of crime, initial crime stories are almost always one-sided, which can cause bloggers and readers to spout off about how guilty the person is and how they should go to prison for what they've done. But an arrest requires a very low burden of proof. And while people talk about the person's guilt without seeing any proof, they would probably have a different attitude if the shoe were on the other foot.
Vincent Howard is thankful for our criminal justice system because it presumes people innocent until proven guilty. The law allows for a jury of their peers to determine this guilt or innocence based on the facts and the applicable case law. This means that all the information that is relevant to a case should come out at trial.
Without this system, any person who was arrested could end up going to jail or prison, regardless of whether there is actually any evidence, police corruption or a case of mistaken identity. No citizen wants that to be the case and yet people will go on and on about a person's guilt without knowing all the facts. Never is this more true than when a sex crime is alleged.
The basis of this story is that a longtime teacher was recently arrested and charged with acts of lewd conduct involving 23 students. News reports have spurred a second student to make allegations against a different teacher, leading to an arrest. The original teacher is accused of gagging, blindfolding and feeding semen to students without their knowledge.
The second male teacher, whose name isn't reported, was immediately investigated by sheriff's detectives after the second student came forward. The new arrest is unrelated to the first and is based on allegations of abuse. Yet, Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney Vincent Howard doesn't believe the school district's statement that "the person could be completely innocent" meshes well with them kicking the teacher off campus and authorities arresting him. The teacher was reassigned to a place where there are no students, most likely a district office. It's unclear how long the investigation will take.
The original teacher was arrested after photographs surfaced of students being spoon-fed a substance believed to be the man's semen while blindfolded. The teacher was the subject of an investigation nearly two decades ago when a female student complained that he tried to fondle her. An investigation was conducted, but there was insufficient evidence.
If you or a loved one would like to speak to a criminal defense attorney in Los Angeles or in any of the surrounding areas, contact HOWARD LAW PC for a confidential appointment to discuss your rights. Call 1-800-872-5925.
More Blog Entries:
Los Angeles Woman Allegedly Offers Sex for Chicken McNuggets: January 23, 2012
Additional Resources:
Second teacher arrested at L.A. school where Mark Berndt worked, by Richard Winton and Howard Blume
