A new sexual assault allegation on campus

[jfmu]

Skimming through some public safety reports, I came across this incident from March 28th in Straz Tower:

http://marquettetribune.org/2011/03/31/news/dps-reports/dps-328-329/

here is the one that is being referred to originally i think

March 31: At 1:00 p.m., a student reported being sexually assaulted on Sunday, Feb. 27 between 12:00 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. by an acquaintance in Humphrey Hall. MPD was contacted.

[immaeagle]

Pretty unrelated, but this is an incredibly well done article on the BYU honor code:

http://deadspin.com/#!5791461/the-truth-about-race-religion-and-the-honor-code-at-byu

[Clam Crowder]

here is the one that is being referred to originally i think

even just an hour of that...it is weird to see that listed in the report

[GGGG]

MPD was contacted?  Does this mean that they are investigating or that they have investigated and it didn't go anywhere?

[foreverwarriors]

And for the old timers, Straz Tower is the former East hall, correct?

Straz Tower = East Hall = the Y

[NYWarrior]

not sure if this is related to this thread, but just in case

http://www.wisn.com/r/28014558/detail.html

[GGGG]

No charges expected.  This is exactly why they waited until students were gone from campus - including the alledged victim.

And announcing it on a Friday before the start of a three-day weekend is a good way to minimize its coverage.

[Skatastrophy]

No charges expected.  This is exactly why they waited until students were gone from campus - including the alledged victim.

And announcing it on a Friday before the start of a three-day weekend is a good way to minimize its coverage.

Plus it's only WISN reporting on this whole non-story.  Does anybody watch channel 12 news in Milwaukee?

[Ari Gold]

Plus it's only WISN reporting on this whole non-story.  Does anybody watch channel 12 news in Milwaukee?

latest news I could find about ratings: http://www.onmilwaukee.com/movies/articles/feb11demos.html
Looking at the flagship 10 p.m. half-hour, among viewers 25-54, Channel 4 was in first with a 4.53 rating -- up 19 percent from the previous February. Channel 6 was a close second with a 4.31, up a whopping 31 percent from the previous February.

Channel 12 was third with a 3.82, up 6 percent from the previous February and Channel 58 had a 2.55, up 42 percent from February 2010.

--
I remember some prior news articles about this, though I can't find them, I remember reading that WISN was first, WTMJ second CBS 3rd and Fox6 4th.

things shift but  its pretty tight numbers for local news

[Pakuni]

No charges expected.  This is exactly why they waited until students were gone from campus - including the alledged victim.

And announcing it on a Friday before the start of a three-day weekend is a good way to minimize its coverage.

That's exactly correct.
It's a very, very tough situation for an elected prosecutor. On the one hand, you never want to give off an appearance that you're going easy on what's perceived as a privileged class (in this case, college athletes).
On the other, no prosecutor is eager to take on a losing case, especially a high-profile case against, presumably, minority defendants in a city that's 40 percwnt African-American.
So unless you've got a lockdown case - which has never seemed to be the case here - best give an appearance of a serious, thorough investigation (whether or not it's necessary), then drop it quietly when no one is paying much attention and hope it goes away.

[brewcity77]

I remember some prior news articles about this, though I can't find them, I remember reading that WISN was first, WTMJ second CBS 3rd and Fox6 4th.

things shift but  its pretty tight numbers for local news

Exactly right. When I worked at WISN, we were usually neck-and-neck with Channel 4, usually less than a quarter-point behind them. What still amazes me is that Channel 4 is almost always at the top of the ratings despite the weakest network programming. It's a testament to how respected their news programs are going all the way back to the 1980s, maybe even further.

The only reason WISN is all over the Marquette stuff is because it's easy news. Most of their interns come from Marquette and the station is located practically on campus (19th & Wells). It's an easy 30-45 second fill for them, and just as easy to walk outside and talk to the "man on the street" if you want to do a 90 second package. Much more difficult for Channels 4, 58, or (especially) 6 to do that, considering their proximity to campus.

[Ari Gold]

Exactly right. When I worked at WISN, we were usually neck-and-neck with Channel 4, usually less than a quarter-point behind them. What still amazes me is that Channel 4 is almost always at the top of the ratings despite the weakest network programming. It's a testament to how respected their news programs are going all the way back to the 1980s, maybe even further.

The only reason WISN is all over the Marquette stuff is because it's easy news. Most of their interns come from Marquette and the station is located practically on campus (19th & Wells). It's an easy 30-45 second fill for them, and just as easy to walk outside and talk to the "man on the street" if you want to do a 90 second package. Much more difficult for Channels 4, 58, or (especially) 6 to do that, considering their proximity to campus.

Right and I think Fox 6 gets numbers because of the 9pm news, instead of a network show. Fox6 WISN and TMJ all seem to have a few really solid anchors/reporters and they've had some for many years
CBS seems to remain the bastard redheaded stepchild of Milwaukee news.

[brewcity77]

Right and I think Fox 6 gets numbers because of the 9pm news, instead of a network show. Fox6 WISN and TMJ all seem to have a few really solid anchors/reporters and they've had some for many years
CBS seems to remain the bastard redheaded stepchild of Milwaukee news.

CBS got screwed out of any influence in the Milwaukee by the NFL way back when. As soon as Fox won the NFC broadcast rights back in the early 1994, it changed everything here. At the time, Fox was on Channel 24 and their biggest draws were The Simpsons and Married With Children. For ratings, they were really just on par with Channel 18 competition wise, despite being in the same building.

But suddenly, Fox wanted a stronger signal. They anted up and bought out Channel 6 to get them on the VHF side of the dial (back when that mattered). I remember CBS was looking at other stations, but at the last minute settled on WDJT. For awhile, there was no true CBS channel in Milwaukee. They only had the broadcasting power to reach Milwaukee and the near suburbs (I grew up in Hartland, we didn't get the new CBS station) and didn't have a news department. The local cable providers also didn't have 58 at first, they had pretty much just been an independent that broadcast to West Allis, Tosa, and parts of western Milwaukee.

In 1996, they moved to their current location on 60th Street, just south of I-94 and put together a news department. At that point they really morphed back into being a true network affiliate, but in terms of local news, have never caught up with the big boys they used to compete with when CBS was affiliated with WITI.

[Clam Crowder]

So most of you are still refusing to even think that all of the athletes are innocent? It is just a cover up? I originally would've said the opposite, but over the duration of this investigation I am unsure what to think.

[GGGG]

Who said it was a cover up?  What Pakuni said is since prosecuters could likely not prove they were guilty, they aren't going to press charges.  That's not a cover up...it's a lack of evidence and knowledge about specific details.

[Clam Crowder]

I was just remembering when this stuff first came out and how many people assumed the athletes were guilty...that's all I was trying to say. I was wondering if people still think this actually occurred and nothing came from it only due to lack of evidence.

[GGGG]

No one here has any idea what happened.

[Skatastrophy]

No one here has any idea what happened.

+1

If the cops don't have enough evidence to even attempt prosecution then that says it all, IMO.

[Pakuni]

No one here has any idea what happened.

+2.
But that won't stop anyone from claiming otherwise.

[muchalktalk]

We know the school found the players in violation of the sexual harrassment policy.  The players were in the wrong but to what extent.  The DA obviously does not feel there is enough evidence to bring charges.  I hope to heck that means there was no assault and not just that it couldn't be proven. 

   

[foreverwarriors]

Per WTMJ's Dan O'Donnell's twitter:

@DanODonnellWTMJ:Breaking news--Milwaukee DA will not charge any @muathletics student-athlete in connection with alleged sex assault

[Hards Alumni]

Per WTMJ's Dan O'Donnell's twitter:

@DanODonnellWTMJ:Breaking news--Milwaukee DA will not charge any @muathletics student-athlete in connection with alleged sex assault

I would have been shocked if they did.

[drewm88]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/122678858.html

No sex charges, but DA's office rebukes Marquette

[HouWarrior]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/122678858.html

No sex charges, but DA's office rebukes Marquette

You quoted the headline reference to a rebuke.
The article body, however, outlines MUs response/reporting  procedures have been improved as a result of it consulting with police, and DA.
This is a very positive result for the school, victims, and the accused, both currently, and in the future.
This ended well, on multiple levels.

[Pakuni]

You quoted the headline reference to a rebuke.
The article body, however, outlines MUs response/reporting  procedures have been improved as a result of it consulting with police, and DA.
This is a very positive result for the school, victims, and the accused, both currently, and in the future.
This ended well, on multiple levels.

It's a nonsensical "rebuke," at that.
At any point during this process the players were free to discuss their situation with one another, their coach, school officials, an attorney or anyone else of their choosing. If charged, a judge could as a condition of bond restrict them from discussing the case among themselves or certain others, but until that point, there's nothing inappropriate or unethical about it.
The school and/or public safety could have advised (not required) them not to talk about it with anyone, but at that point it seems the players weren't even aware of a complaint/investigation. The rebuke essentially says the players shouldn't have been allowed to discuss with one another or their coach an investigation of which they were unaware.
Hmmm.