In Mitchell, South Dakota, a group of six teenage players from a local American Legion baseball team faced charges as adults in a rape case that occurred last summer. The players have now been sentenced to fines and community service after agreeing to plea deals. The former Mitchell Legion players, born between 2004 and 2006, were sentenced by a judge following their guilty pleas to accessory to a felony earlier this year.
According to prosecutors, the teenagers assaulted a teammate during a baseball trip in Rapid City last year. Roxanne Hammond from the Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office emphasized that the incident was not merely hazing but a serious crime of rape. The State’s Attorney’s Office had requested 10-day jail terms for the players, but the presiding judge decided to suspend the sentence and place the defendants on probation after considering the victim’s wishes not to see them serve jail time or be labeled as sex offenders.
Following the sentencing, Hammond expressed on Facebook that the defendants would have the opportunity to learn from their mistakes as teenagers and move forward. In court, the defendants offered apologies, with two of them reportedly shedding tears as they expressed their regret for the harm caused. One of the former players, represented by Attorney Matt Kinney, was reported to be satisfied with the outcome of the case.
Not all legal representatives for the defendants were available for immediate comment on the sentencing. The judge also took the opportunity during the proceedings to address parents who reacted inappropriately upon learning about the incident, criticizing those who laughed or smirked during the court proceedings or when video evidence of the assault was shown.
Hammond stated in court that having to explain to a courtroom why the video of the assault constituted a crime was disheartening for the local community. The court’s decision aims to hold the perpetrators accountable for their actions while granting them the chance to learn and grow from the experience.
