There must be something in the water in Apache Junction, Ariz. For the second time in two months, an Apache Junction High School girls' basketball coach has been indicted on charges of sexual misconduct involving a student.
The most recent case, involving 25-year-old Raeanna Jewell, came to light on March 26 when the mother of a 16-year-old student noticed suspicious text messages on her daughter's cell phone. The messages were allegedly sent by Jewell. The exact context of those messages has not yet been released. However, some of the texts purportedly included inappropriate images, a practice commonly referred to as "sexting."
During the course of the investigation, Apache Junction police determined that Jewell had allegedly engaged in inappropriate contact with the teen inside a restroom at the high school gym. Police say that the incidents occurred between Jan. 1 and March 26. Upon completing their investigation, police arrested Jewell on March 29.
The allegations came as a shock to many local residents. Prior to becoming a girls' basketball and softball coach, Jewell was a star basketball player at Washington's Gonzaga University, where, in 2005, she completed her career, having scored over 1,000 points.
"Rae is a dominant force offensively and defensively," former teammate Katie Prichard said in a March 2005 interview with gonzagabulletin.com. "She can drive and pull-up and shoot the lights out at the three-point line. She also has really quick feet and is strong and tough. Rae is a solid contributor and consistent."
The article went on to describe Jewell as an aggressive player with tremendous rebounding skills.
OJ Simpson, 61, was sentenced to a 15 year prison term today for his part in a botched robbery attempt to recover sports memorabilia.
Prior to sentencing, Simpson addressed the court, apologizing for the actions that led to today's hearing.
"In no way did I mean to hurt anybody and to steal anything from anyone," Simpson said. "I just didn’t want anybody else’s stuff; I just wanted my own. I realize that it was stupid of me. I didn’t think that I was doing anything illegal. I thought I was retrieving my things. So I am sorry."
In sentencing Simpson, Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass said that it was against the law in the state of Nevada to take back property by force.
"It's much more than stupidity," Glass said. "You went to the room took guns, meaning you and the group, you used force, you took property whether yours or someone else's. That amounts to robbery."
According to the coach's Web site, the Florida Gators have an "aggressive, attacking, physical defense," which allows them to "harass the quarterback" and "punish" the opposition.
If the last year is any indication, the team's offense also likes to "harass" and "punish", or at least that is the example that has been set by 20-year-old Ronnie Wilson, a 6' 4", 315-pound offensive guard who was arrested last year for felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor battery.
The incident occurred outside of XS nightclub on April 5, 2007. According to the Gainesville police report, Wilson punched and spat on Frank Fuller, a Santa Fe Community College student. Following the assault, Fuller jumped into his car and dialed 911.
While on the phone with the dispatcher, Fuller followed Wilson to an empty parking lot, where the football player exited his vehicle, removed an AK-47 assault rifle from the trunk, and fired off a single round into the air. Wilson, according to the report, wanted Fuller "to know how it felt to be scared."
The gunshot can be heard in the second part of the 911 call. Also of note is the fact that it took a patrol car over 30 minutes to arrive on the scene.
As a result of the charges, Wilson was suspended indefinitely from the football team. In an April 7, 2007, interview with Gainesville.com, coach Urban Meyer said that the university had a strict policy regarding the possession of guns.
"The punishment from the university is severe," Meyer said. "The university is really clear. It's non-negotiable."
On June 14, state attorney's office spokesman Spencer Mann announced that his office was reducing the charges against Wilson to one count of battery and one count of discharging a firearm in public. The new charges were both misdemeanors, which carried a maximum sentence of one year of imprisonment and a $1,000 fine.
"Probable cause at the time of the incident is usually much less than what we have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt," Mann told Orlandosentinel.com. "It's not unusual for charges to be adjusted."
Wilson finally had his day in court in August 2007, when he pled no contest both to battery and to discharging a firearm. As a result, Wilson received two years of court-supervised probation and was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service. He was also ordered to forfeit his assault rifle and to undergo a mental health evaluation.
For all intents and purposes, Wilson was let go with a slap on the wrist. End of story, right? Not quite.
On January 6, 2008, one day before Wilson was to return to Florida for the spring semester, he was arrested again and charged with possession of marijuana. According to the police report, Wilson was pulled over after he failed to obey a stop sign. A subsequent search of the vehicle, conducted by an officer with the Alachua County Sheriff's Department, resulted in the discovery of six grams of marijuana.
The arrest was an obvious violation of Wilson's probation. However, according to Miamiherald.com, the state attorney's office failed to notice that Wilson was on probation. Not only did they fail to take action regarding his probation, but also they later dismissed the entire case.
''You have to prove constructive possession, and that's a tough thing to prove a lot of times,'' Mann told Miamiherald.com. "This case was a weak one to start with."
According to Mann, the charges were also dismissed because the University of Florida was made aware of them and stated that their judicial affairs department would take over. The case was ultimately swept under the rug until the Miami Herald uncovered it earlier this month. Regardless, the university has refused to comment.
In spite of Wilson's outwardly reckless behavior, his fondness for guns ,and his alleged penchant for drugs, the crux of this story is the fact that coach Urban Meyer has now seemingly given his blessing to Wilson and has allowed him to participate in the team's first preseason practice.
Meyer defended the decision, in an interview with Sportsillustrated.cnn.com, saying, "I'm still evaluating him. I have a long history of giving guys opportunities. A lot of thought went into it, though.''
Evaluating? Doubtful. The fact that Ronnie Wilson, who now likes to go by "Ron," was on the field in the first place suggests that the "evaluation" has already been completed.
Wilson was also prepared for anyone aiming (no pun intended) to throw stones, having issued his own public statement:
''I'm sorry that I caused so much embarrassment for my family, the school, and the football program,'' Wilson said. "I'm thankful for the opportunity to be out here. It was very difficult being away from the school and the football team that I care so much about.''
Serious charges generally result in serious punishment; however, in Wilson's case, it would seem that shooting off an assault rifle is akin to throwing a Hail Mary.
Kudos to Urban Meyer for instilling and, er… enforcing discipline in his sports program!
David Lohr has been writing about crime and criminals for over 15 years. Readers and critics alike regard Mr. Lohr as one of the most prominent crime writers of the 21st century. Email David
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