(05-01-2020, 10:42 AM)FBT Wrote:

(04-30-2020, 11:07 PM)Dewboy01 Wrote: That would be true for you and me - but we all know that there are different rules for the wealthy. He can "settle with her" (pay her off with life altering money) and all of a sudden, there's an uncooperative witness who isn't willing to testify, making a trial much more difficult for the prosecution. Of course if the girl has cooperated to this point, hopefully she sees it through.

If he has been charged with a crime here (which he has), there's no settling out of court.  The girl has already provided her account, and she has corroboration from multiple people she spoke with after the incident.  There's no need for her not to cooperate at this point.  He can certainly plea deal this if his legal team thinks that's the best approach.  He's not writing a check and getting out of this.  That's a civil matter, and he may very well be dragged into civil court by the girl at some point, and then he'll need to break out the checkbook.

If he did this - and all indications and reports seem to indicate that he not only did it, but he pursued her, he knew her age at the time and he paid her to lie about it if anyone asked - then I hope he is successfully prosecuted to the full extent of the law.  I have daughters and I know how I would feel if this happened to one of them.  I don't know this girl at all and I'm disturbed and disgusted by Telvin's actions.  I do have to disagree with you though - while I'm aware that he can't settle the legal issue and charges against him out of court (other than reaching a plea deal that possibly avoids the girl having to testify), he certainly can reach a monetary settlement with the girl and her family whereby she doesn't testify when this goes to trial.  That would make the legal case against him difficult to prove and get a conviction - though not impossible.  They'd still have the witness' testimony of her telling him she's 17, they'd still have the DNA from his vehicle matching her - it would just get problematic if there's no plea deal and she doesn't testify since anything she said to the police up to this point simply can't be used in a trial.

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