Definitely not a reliable source, but the Daily Mail reports that
“Owen Labrie, 20, will serve his sentence in a house of corrections instead of a state prison because his crimes were misdemeanors and he was acquitted on all felony charges.”
Leaving aside the fact that he WAS convicted of a felony, what’s the difference between a “house of corrections” and a “state prison”?
A House of Corrections is usually a place where people serving sentences of one year or less on misdemeanors are kept. They usually aren’t in with people who have committed felonies. The judge didn’t put him in with truly hardened criminals. They are in state prison. That may be part of the reason the judge sentenced him on the misdemeanor and suspended the sentence on the felony.
I’m betting the prison is a lot more scary than jail…
Here’s an explanation I found on line.
This will eventually be his short-term abode: http://www.merrimackcounty.net/departments/corrections
In the sentencing report he was quoted joking about earlier sex with a 12 year old. Joking about her prepubescent bum. I wish they would investigate his other conquests.
Mother of the victim will be on the Today show this morning.
In that case, IMHO he really should go ahead and report to serve his sentence. I see a continuing pattern of reluctance to “do the right thing” (admit wrongdoing, apologize, accept his punishment) and it doesn’t bode well for him becoming a productive member of society later on down the road.
Sentencing memorandum submitted by defense counsel:
http://www.courts.state.nh.us/caseinfo/pdf/labrie/10282015labrie-memo.pdf
"“Vermont sex offender registry law does not place any restrictions on housing or employment for registrants.”
This case is happening in New Hampshire, not Vermont. I don’t know what the rules are there.
Why? I agree with you and @Hannah that lifetime sex offender registration should not be imposed automatically. However, while I also agree with the judge that some sort of psychosexual evaluation needs to be done in this case, based on the evidence and conviction, I think there is probable cause to believe that this particular young man is a sexual predator.
The jury found beyond a reasonable doubt that he penetrated her sexually. He knew she was underage. He knew the law. He knowingly violated it. He wasn’t in love with her. He tried to say he had a “crush” on her. The judge didn’t buy that and neither do I. He allotted 45 minutes to accomplish his goal of sexual intercourse. He left her alone afterwards in a mechanical room by herself. He did exactly what he said his style was in his text messages. He feigned affection, used her and left her in the equivalent of a “dumpster.” Then he went back and bragged to his friends.
This wasn’t a case of a young man “making out” with someone, getting aroused and then missing the young women’s signals that she didn’t want to go further. It wasn’t spontaneous. He went with a condom, planning to have sex—and the jury found that beyond a reasonable doubt.(It’s the basis of the computer conviction.) She was targeted for months. While he tried to say calling her a “princess” was a compliment, it obviously wasn’t. His lawyer said he felt like he was an outsider because he wasn’t as wealthy as his classmates. I think that’s true and I think the fact that this is obviously a very wealthy family was one of the reasons Labrie targeted her.
And, she wasn’t the only one. ( Kudos to the young woman who turned him down. He was infuriated by the fact that she did. )
How can you be so confident that other young women don’t need to be protected from him? That’s a sincere question… If Owen Labrie had accepted the plea deal, served 30 days for simple assault (a misdemeanor) and gone on with his life, could you really be confident that he wouldn’t do it again? If the young woman hadn’t come forward; if the world hadn’t heard the accusations, would he have done it again? How can you be so sure he wouldn’t? How can you be sure she was his first victim? Her statement clearly implied that she now knows she wasn’t. Do you think she’s lying?
I think that if he had taken that deal he would have had even more issues with women than he obviously already has. I think his reaction would have been “…that b0#@! ruined by life.” I think that’s his attitude right now. The judge said he was actually glad he hadn’t feigned remorse that he obviously doesn’t feel.
The psychologist concluded he wasn’t a threat based in part on his conversations with Labrie–conversations in which Labrie consistently denied they ever had sex. (The evaluation was done in August before the trial.) He didn’t know about the DNA. Now that the jury found beyond a reasonable doubt that there was penetration, why are you so confident that he wouldn’t target another underage young woman?
I’m not. Again, I’m not saying I think lifetime is the best choice or that it should be an automatic choice. But, IMO, there’s a good chance that this young man NEEDS the sort of sex offender treatment the boys in the Steubenville case got. It’s certainly worth having him evaluated by someone more experienced dealing with sex offenders than the “expert” Carney used.
So, again, it’s a sincere question . Why are you so sure he’s not a threat?
I read both the state’s sentencing report with all of the offensive texts, and then the one Labrie’s lawyer submitted with all the glowing letters of praise from classmates/adults/teachers/friends/a priest/a former girlfriend/the former girlfriend’s mother. I wonder whether any of the letter-writers had any knowledge at all of what he had texted to his friends. I also wonder if, seeing what was in the state’s report, any of them are concerned about the character of the “real” Labrie or would withdraw their support. I have a hard time reconciling the two versions of him presented in those two reports. I think he’s deeply troubled. The judge did a good job in sentencing, IMO.
To build on @jonri’s comments, which I agree with, remember that the victim DID turn him down initially. Labrie enlisted a younger boy in his dorm, another freshman student, to go talk to the girl for him, to put in a good word for him, to convince her to meet up with him. To me, that is further evidence of a calculated move. Plus, misusing his role as a prefect in the dorm to get a much younger boy to do his bidding raises further moral issues.
Additionally, there was at least one other girl willing to testify against Labrie regarding him being sexually aggressive with her but the testimony was not allowed in court. The judge ruled that past sexual history could not be brought up in the trial.
I think it worth noting that a couple of the letters of support in the defense’s sentencing memo were from people who only knew Labrie recently, people who did not know him prior to his conviction. Some of the other letters sounded like major school girl crushes. I thought many of them strange.
As the judge seemed to pick up on, he is smart, articulate, a “very good liar”. He did have a psychosexual evaluation early on but the person doing it wasn’t privy to all the info that came out. The judge even commented that the next person that does an evaluation should know Labrie is a good liar.
I read this in a tweet this morning from a reporter that was in the courtroom yesterday. This was supposedly from the prosecution: “There’s no question and it’s very obvious that the defendant is a gifted individual. By all appearances he is intelligent, articulate, attractive and engaging. These are the same qualities we see in very dangerous sexual predators. Our experience has told us that great people in positions of authority, of fame, wealth, even members of the clergy are also sexual offenders.”
Go back and watch some of the video of Labrie testifying about his sexual hook-up with the victim. In light of all that’s come out, the facebook messages, etc., it is creepy to watch his expressions, his language, as he talks about the incident.
Labrie obviously has the charisma and intelligence to influence people. He certainly fooled many adults - teachers and administrators - in the St. Paul’s community as well. I am sure they have been shocked by what has come out.
To me, he is predatory.
Also, @Hanna, my understanding is that NH law is the same as VT law regarding sexual offender registry - no restrictions regarding where one can live/work.
In the category of “we’re reading on CC” - did anyone else hear the news coverage in which reporters claimed he lost “a full scholarship at Harvard” and get distracted enough to think, “hey, Harvard doesn’t give merit aid”…? 
I did notice.
I also wondered how someone who did the things he did wanted to go to divinity school - regardless of everything else, he DID say and do certain things that would not lead me to think divinity school would be in his future. That just doesn’t make sense to me …
Well…one of the letters Carney submitted is from a former SPS student who said that Labrie’s ambition was to become the rector (headmaster) of SPS. That makes more sense to me. To be the rector of an Episopal school, from what little I know about it, you pretty much have to be an Episcopal priest. I think he genuinely enjoyed the atmosphere at SPS and probably saw the lifestyle of a rector as a very good one. Lots of time off, more relaxed working atmosphere than a lawyer, doctor, investment banker, decent salary with free place to live. I think becoming an Episcopal priest was a means to that end in his mind.
I suspect that Labrie enjoyed studying philosophy and theology from an academic point of view. You can do that at Harvard Divinity. It’s a non-sectarian place; it doesn’t really train you to be a minister. http://hds.harvard.edu/about I also suspect–call me a cynic–that volunteering to be a worship leader as he did and expressing an interest in theology was a good way to ingratiate yourself with the faculty at a school like SPS. It’s all part of his Eddie Haskell persona.
I get annoyed with the nonsense about going to Harvard Divinity School. When people pointed out that it’s a graduate program–some news reports yesterday still had him going to Harvard to study “divinity”-- Carney adjusted the phrase to planning to go to Harvard College with the opportunity to take Divinity School courses. In theory, courses at the Divinity School are open to undergrads at Harvard College with permission. As I understand it, permission is given by an individual professor, not as a blanket permission before you’ve even started. There wasn’t some “special opportunity” given to Labrie, as Carney implies.
My kid attended a different top college. One of her friends took courses in the history of religions at the Divinity School. He was a history major. He wasn’t the least bit devout. He just found religious history interesting and the courses at the Divinity School went into greater depth about the Reformation, etc. than the college’s courses.
Yes, I view the whole Divinity School thing as just another smoke screen to make this boy look like someone he clearly was not. The Divinity School only offers masters programs and a PhD program. I think this whole concept of him pursuing this line of study came about after charges were filed against him.
The adults in this boy’s life that assisted him in weaving this new persona are as misguided as he is. The boy’s own words and actions are so contradictory to the picture they attempt to paint, that it leads one to conclude that these are people who simply believe the rules do not apply to them.
And I am very hopeful that this sentencing will be the catalyst to change the culture that exists at St. Paul’s. I think the Judge sent a very strong message and at least in this one case there will be accountability. And accountability is one thing that I think will have some impact on the sexual assault numbers.
@Hanna I assume he would return to Vermont to live with Mama.
One point of clarity, you do not need to be clergy to be a Rector at SPS any longer. The last 2 Rectors haven’t been. Although they still keep the title of Rector, its basically what other schools would call a headmaster. The job certainly pays very well, but I wouldn’t it call it easy. Work days can start very early in the morning and last well into the evening. Many constituencies to try to please - alums, the board, faculty, parents, students. And your spouse basically works for free at the many, many events. Not a job I’d personally want.
Yes to the Eddie Haskell syndrome. Some people seem to buy into that type of personality more than others.
Divinity student, scholarships (SPS aid is need based as well), poor student in a rich school (there are many lower income/middle income students at boarding school these days), single parent, even the whole look in court - spin, spin, spin.
^^^^
Absolutely true. Close to 50% of students at Andover and Exeter are on financial aid. The majority of boarding schools are not that far behind them in those numbers. Think St. Paul’s is close to 40%.