Only the ugly go to jail?

Former teacher won't face sex crime trial Tue Mar 21, 6:50 PM ET

TAMPA, Florida (Reuters) - A former Florida teacher who pleaded guilty to having sex with a 14-year-old boy will not have to stand trial on additional charges because prosecutors dropped those charges on Tuesday.

Debra LaFave pleaded guilty in November in Tampa to committing lewd and lascivious battery on a student who attended the middle school where she taught in Florida's Hillsborough County.

Under the plea agreement reached with the Hillsborough prosecutors, LaFave, 25, was sentenced to three years of house arrest and seven years probation.

She faced additional charges in neighboring Marion County for having sex with the same student during a trip there.

Prosecutors in Marion County agreed to the same plea because the boy's parents said they did not want him to have to testify at what was expected to be a widely covered and televised trial.

"I am very remorseful," LaFave said at a news conference in Tampa. "I was very nervous (about a trial)."

LaFave said she has bipolar disorder and is receiving therapy for the mental disorder.

Her attorney, John Fitzgibbons, said last year that LaFave would be in danger in prison because she was so beautiful. She is a former model who posed in a bikini for a motorcycle magazine.

LaFave had taught reading at the Greco Middle School for two years until her arrest in June 2004. Her husband, who divorced her after she was arrested, has remarried. LaFave recently became engaged to a friend from high school. Source

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

Yes her attorny said that last year but it has nothing to do with the way the case got handled in the last few weeks.

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

If that was me I would be rotting in jail now. Oh please.

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

I keep thinking about that poor kid. If that was my son, I would be a raving lunatic over this.

This woman is a nut! Why was she even teaching in the first place if she had a history of "severe mental illness"?
I understand the parents of the kid not wanting him to testify, because it would cause him trauma. However, this nut gets a slap on the wrist for raping a child? WHAT?????

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

Source

OCALA, Fla. -- Local prosecutors have dropped the charges against Debra LaFave, the Tampa school teacher accused of having sex with her 14-year-old student.

The decision came only hours after a Marion County judge rejected a second plea deal in the case.

Lafave held a news conference with her attorney shortly after the prosecutors' decision to drop the charges became official. She apologized, blamed her actions on a mental illness, saying she was bipolar, and she said she now wants to remarry, move on and be left alone.

"As you can see, my face has been plastered on every Internet address, every news outlet and that's not easy. It's not easy feeling the guilt and the remorse and having my own family suffer for my actions," she said.


Prosecutors promised the mother of the victim in this case that her son would not have to testify. But because Marion County Judge Hale Stancil rejected this second plea deal, the only other option for prosecutors would be a trial, which would force the teen to testify.

Stancil doesn't believe the teen would be damaged by his testifying in court. Nearly two weeks ago in court, the prosecution tried to convince the judge otherwise, but a child psychiatrist damaged the case, according to the judge, because he didn't show the victim's alleged mental stress.

"It is the opinion of this Court that accepting the proposed plea agreement would undermine the credibility of this Court, and the criminal justice system as a whole, and would erode public confidence in our schools," Stancil wrote in his rejection order.

"Accepting the proposed plea agreement would likewise send the message that if enough publicity is generated, and the media's interest continues long enough, and because of that interest the victim does not wish to testify, a defendant can avoid an appropriate sentence. Quite frankly, if the allegations against the Defendant are true, the agreed-upon sentence shocks the conscience of this Court."

LaFave's case has attracted media attention from near and far, a reason why State Attorney Ric Ridgway said the victim would be further harmed if he was forced to take the stand.
... click on link for full story

I don't disagree that she should be in jail
I don't disagree that her attorny made those statements last year
I DO disagree that her looks are what got her off.

A picture for those who have yet to see her

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

Posted by IrishTracy

Message edited 3/22/2006 8:34:44 AM.

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

absolutely crazy!

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

This is so wrong. If it was a man that had sex with a 14 yr old girl (or boy, for that matter), he would be thrown in jail for sure, bipolar or not. Why does this woman get off?

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

Posted by BabyAvocado

This is so wrong. If it was a man that had sex with a 14 yr old girl (or boy, for that matter), he would be thrown in jail for sure, bipolar or not. Why does this woman get off?

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

ridiculous

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

I heard these were in the post this morning

LaFave Photos

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

She reminds me of Kelly Bundy from Married With Children


ETA But not as classy!

Message edited 3/22/2006 9:49:00 AM.

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

Absolutely ridiculous. If she were a man, people would be going nuts over this. Such a double standard.

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

Hmm and had this been a MALE teacher with a FEMALE student??

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

Posted by Leon29

Posted by BabyAvocado

This is so wrong. If it was a man that had sex with a 14 yr old girl (or boy, for that matter), he would be thrown in jail for sure, bipolar or not. Why does this woman get off?

No ands ifs and buts about that. It is so not fair.

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

This is so wrong. That poor kid and his family.

And W* T* F is up with this picture?

Image Attachment(s):

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

I saw her this morning on TV and I think blaming her actions on bipolar disorder is a load. The other thing I find interesting about all of this is that the ex-husband is there, giving an interview every time this comes up in the news. I guess he wants to see her punished too, but I think I would want to move on and be done with it if I were the ex.

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

Posted by Leon29

Posted by BabyAvocado

This is so wrong. If it was a man that had sex with a 14 yr old girl (or boy, for that matter), he would be thrown in jail for sure, bipolar or not. Why does this woman get off?

No ands ifs and buts about that. It is so not fair.

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

So after knowing she abused a child, has a bipolar disorder - another wackjob wants to marry her? What is wrong with him?

Ooooh, score! Lucky guy!

Re: Only the ugly go to jail?

Posted by dooodles

So after knowing she abused a child, has a bipolar disorder - another wackjob wants to marry her? What is wrong with him?

Ooooh, score! Lucky guy!