Steubenville Rape Trial: Alleged victim is now expected to testify

By: Julia Dahl
Topics: Daily Blotter

Jefferson County sheriff Fred Abdalla addresses the crowd at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Steubenville, Ohio on Jan. 5, 2013.

/ Thomas Ondrey,AP Photo/The Plain Dealer

(CBS/AP) Updated 12:05 p.m. - The 16-year-old girl who has accused two Ohio high school football players of sexually assaulting her while she was intoxicated during a night of partying last August is expected to take the stand after a West Virginia judge reversed an earlier ruling, according to attorneys for the accused.

Ma'Lik Richmond, 16, and Trent Mays, 17, are accused of sexually assaulting the 16-year-old girl twice - once in the back seat of a car, and once in a basement - on the night of August 11, 2012.

The alleged victim reportedly has no recollection of the night, but Richmond's attorney Walter Madison told Crimesider that the Ohio judge in the case considered her and two of her friends "material and essential witnesses," and issued subpoenas for them to testify.

The girls live across the river from Steubenville, in West Virginia, and a judge in that state had ruled they need not comply with the subpoenas because they were juveniles and the case is being tried in juvenile court, making it technically a civil, not criminal, case.

On Tuesday, Madison, and the attorney representing Mays, filed to have the case against their clients dismissed, arguing that their due process would be violated if such crucial witnesses were not called to testify. But the West Virginia judge reversed his decision late Tuesday and on Wednesday morning attorneys for Richmond and Mays dropped their motion to dismiss.

Complete coverage of the Steubenville Rape Case on Crimesider

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by Margot33 March 13, 2013 9:58 PM EDT: I can't believe they make her testify, it's like making her go through rape again.; Reply to this comment

by mrmwoot March 13, 2013 4:18 PM EDT

I like how the alleged attackers now have their namesake attached to the word rape for the rest of their lives, while the alleged victim sits behind a wall of anonymity. Seems reeeeaaal fair. And if she did lie about the ordeal, will she suffer a modicum of reputation damage? We already know.

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by Margot33 March 13, 2013 9:53 PM EDT: yes, it is very fair. She's not the one who committed the crime. and they should have a word rapist tattooed on their foreheads, for everyone's sake. And "if she lied" - have you seen the videos on you tube?! there is no doubt what happened, I can't believe you! there should be more of them punished, not only 2.


by Margot33 March 13, 2013 9:53 PM EDT: yes, it is very fair. She's not the one who committed the crime. and they should have a word rapist tattooed on their foreheads, for everyone's sake. And "if she lied" - have you seen the videos on you tube?! there is no doubt what happened, I can't believe you! there should be more of them punished, not only 2.


by bulldog2010w March 13, 2013 2:27 PM EDT: Many kids were charge with underage drinking? How many parents of these party houses were charged with crimes? Did the football coach or school officials know about this underage drinking parties? What did they do about it? School conduced rules had to have been broken.; Reply to this comment

by marine1957 March 13, 2013 1:06 PM EDT

PARTIAL SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM:

NEVER, NEVER drink alcoholic beverages...

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by Margot33 March 13, 2013 9:57 PM EDT: from what I read previously, she might have be dragged, it wasn't certain that she drunk until unconscious.