Debra Lafave
Debra Jean Beasley (born August 28, 1980) is a former reading teacher at Angelo L. Greco
Middle School in Temple Terrace, Florida when she was charged with several counts of having
illegal sex with a minor in 2005.
LaFave, who claimed she was raped by a schoolmate at age 13, was raised by a loving but
domineering mother and an attentive but remote father. She sang professionally, did some
modeling, and had several relationships, including with Nick Carter. After a high school lesbian
affair was discovered, she cut her wrists, and entered therapy.
She graduated from the University of South Florida, and began teaching remedial reading.
Highly popular with the students, she occasionally dressed inappropriately, sometimes wearing a
very short skirt or a low-cut blouse showing cleavage.
According to the book Gorgeous Disaster, by her ex-husband Owen Lafave, she met the 14year-old student at an after-school tag football game. The relationship developed over a period of
weeks. Shortly after school ended for the year, she drove the boy to her home and performed oral
sex on him. From then, the relationship turned intimate; they had sex in the back of her SUV
while it was being driven by the boy's cousin.
The boy's mother soon learned of the affair. She tape-recorded conversations between the lovers,
then had Lafave arrested when she drove to the boy's home to pick him up. The boy gave police
an accurate description of her tattoos, tan lines, and pubic area. One European newspaper
published the boy's name and photo; legal action by his mother led to it being removed from the
paper's website.
Because sexual activity took place in two different counties, two separate sets of charges were
filed. A trial date was set for December 5 at a court hearing after the prosecution and the defense
could not agree on a plea bargain. The prosecution's plea deal involved prison time and the
defense found that unacceptable. Debra's defense attorney caused a national stir that made
headlines by remarking to the media that "To place Debbie into a Florida state women's
penitentiary, to place an attractive young woman in that kind of hell hole, is like putting a piece
of raw meat in with the lions." Owen LaFave's book suggests that this statement was an
intentional ploy by the attorney.
In September 2005 it was revealed that the Temple Terrace police ordered photographs be taken
of Lafave's genital area while her feet were bound up in stirrups.
Shortly before the trial was scheduled to begin, the boy's mother, who had been insisting that she
serve time in prison, changed her stance and agreed to a plea bargain with no prison time to save
her son from having to testify in court. The trial was to be covered by Court TV. A new plea
agreement was quickly worked out.
On November 22, 2005, Debra pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years of Community
Control (house arrest) and seven years of probation, along with a string of other requirements.
However, on December 8, 2005, the judge in the second county refused to accept plea-agreement
terms that included no prison time, and set a trial date for April 10, 2006. In an unusual act, the
prosecutor announced the charges were being dropped, in effect, overruling the judge.
LaFave is serving probation until 2016. Her teaching certificate has been revoked, and under the
"Son of Sam law", she is barred from profiting financially from the case.
LaFave attributed her indiscretions to bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, which is
associated with intense and irregular mood swings and with hypersexuality and poor judgment
during manic episodes.
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant (born August 23, 1978 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American AllStar shooting guard in the National Basketball Association who plays for the Los Angeles
Lakers. He is the only son of former Philadelphia 76ers player and current Los Angeles Sparks
head coach Joe "Jellybean" Bryant. He rose to national prominence as he became the first guard
to be drafted out of high school in league history. Bryant was ranked #59 on SLAM magazine's
Top 75 NBA Players of All Time in 2003.
During 2003, the Kobe Bryant sexual assault case, in which a young Colorado woman Katelyn
Faber accused Bryant of sexual assault, had tarnished Kobe's image, but before this point Bryant
was known to publicly fight with teammate Shaquille O'Neal. In addition to his problems with
O'Neal, Bryant feuded with other teammates during his career. In an isolated incident, he
allegedly punched teammate Samaki Walker in the face outside of the team bus. In 2004, a
dispute between Bryant and former teammate Karl Malone became public prior to Malone's
expected re-signing with the Lakers. Bryant claimed Malone had made inappropriate comments
to Bryant's wife. Malone claimed the comments were in jest and that Bryant was overreacting. In
the subsequent months, rather than re-join Bryant and the Lakers, Malone turned his attention to
the possibility of joining another team, but ultimately decided to retire.
The trial began with a series of pretrial hearings. Bryant's lawyers were aggressive in their
defense, and attempted to obtain Faber's medical records, to admit evidence on her sexual
history, and to force her to testify at trial when the prosecution claimed that previously recorded
statements and other evidence were sufficient. The prosecution countered with accusations that
the defense had made a "conscious misrepresentation of the evidence in order to smear the victim
publicly". The judge angrily likened Pamela Mackey (Bryant's defense attorney) to a dog in need
of a muzzle after Mackey stated Faber's full name in open court six times after being ordered by
Judge Frederick Gannett not to do so.
On September 1, 2004, the criminal complaint against Kobe Bryant was dismissed, after Faber
decided not to testify. The criminal case against him cannot be retried in the future because of the
Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution's protection against double jeopardy
(jeopardy attaches to a criminal case once the first witness is sworn). As a result, Kobe Bryant is
no longer a criminal defendant.
After the criminal complaint was dropped, Kobe Bryant issued a statement read by his attorney.
"Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did
not and does not view this incident the same way that I did". The statement references an
agreement that the statement can not be used in the civil case.
On October 6, 2004, with regard to the civil trial of the accuser against Kobe Bryant, a federal
judge rejected a request from Faber to remain anonymous during the proceedings. The judge
ruled that the public's interest in open court proceedings outweighed the accuser's desire to shield
her identity. In the decision, U.S. District Judge Richard Matsch said, "The parties appear as
equals before the court and that fundamental principle must be protected throughout these
proceedings."
On October 14, 2004, the accuser re-filed her sexual lawsuit against Bryant, using her real name,
Katelyn Faber.
On or around March 2, 2005, Faber and Bryant settled their lawsuit. Some media sources
speculated that Bryant settled the lawsuit in order to avoid having to testify under oath. In
Colorado, as in California, a party who files a civil lawsuit (whether in State or Federal Court) is
allowed to take the testimony of the other party (whether they be a defendant or a plaintiff in the
lawsuit). The process is commonly referred to as a deposition. The testimony taken at a
deposition is taken under oath and the party being deposed is sworn to tell the truth. Moreover,
the deposition testimony is transcribed by a licensed court reporter and the transcript of Bryant's
deposition would have been a coveted news and gossip item. Just as media sources had
speculated that the criminal case was dropped by the prosecution due to Faber's reluctance to
expose the various details of her personal life, many media sources also speculated that Bryant
had decided to settle the civil case out of court so that the details of his own personal life would
not be made public. Had he been forced to testify under oath, it would have been likely that
Bryant would have been questioned about the previous affair that he had with a woman named
Michelle, and any explicit details of his personal sex life that Faber's attorneys deemed
significant.
Because the Colorado criminal charges against Kobe Bryant were dropped he would not have
been able to appeal to the Fifth Amendment during his deposition, and would have been forced
to answer all questions pertaining to the event. Refusal to answer questions at a deposition is a
serious offense which can be punished by Court evidentiary and monetary sanctions.
Jennifer Porter
TAMPA - For weeks, Jennifer Porter avoided cameras, questions and jail.
The 28-year-old elementary school dance teacher was the most prominent suspect in the March
31 hit-and-run that killed two siblings and injured two others.
Her family sheltered her. Powerhouse attorney Barry Cohen protected her from media inquiries
and questions from sheriff's investigators.
On the evening of March 31, 2004, four young siblings were struck in a hit-and-run accident in
Tampa. Two died. On Aug. 30, as part of a deal struck with prosecutors, former Tampa teacher
Jennifer Porter admitted her involvement in the accident and pleaded guilty to leaving the scene
of an accident involving death.
THE SENTENCE
Porter will serve no time in jail. She was sentenced to three years of probation, two years of
community control or house arrest and 500 hours of community service.
The mother of the two children who died in the road said Wednesday she hoped Porter would
spend time behind bars.
"My kids were left in the road like dogs," Lisa Wilkins said at a news conference.
State Attorney Mark Ober's decision not to charge Porter with vehicular homicide angered
strangers such as Edwards, as well as neighbors in the University Area community where the
victims lived with their siblings and mother, Lisa Wilkins.
Had Ober filed vehicular homicide charges, he could have charged Porter with both boys' deaths.
She could have been sentenced to as many as 30 years in prison, 15 years for each count.
For a vehicular homicide charge to succeed, prosecutors would have to prove that Porter was
legally intoxicated or driving in a reckless manner.
Investigators said she was driving six to 10 mph over the 30 mph speed limit. That alone is not
considered "reckless" under Florida law. There is no indication that she was drunk or on drugs.
Other factors also could undermine a vehicular homicide charge: The crash occurred just after
dark; witnesses said some streetlights were out; and the children were not crossing at the
crosswalk.
Prosecutors say they cannot charge someone with a crime if they don't think they can prove it
beyond a reasonable doubt.
Michael Vick
RICHMOND, Virginia (CNN) -- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick pleaded not guilty
Thursday to dogfighting charges, and a trial date was set for November after his defense attorney
asked a judge for a delay, citing the complexity of the case.
At an earlier bond hearing, U.S. Magistrate Judge Dennis Dohnal allowed Vick to continue his
release under certain conditions. He ordered Vick to surrender his passport and dog-breeding
license; not travel outside the district where he lives without prior approval; and not buy or sell
any dogs.
Vick and three of his associates were indicted by a federal grand jury last week on charges they
conspired to organize bloody and vicious dogfights on a piece of property that Vick bought in
2001.
If convicted on both portions of the conspiracy charge, they each could be sentenced to up to six
years in prison and fined $350,000, prosecutors said.
According to the federal indictment, dogs that didn't show enough fighting spirit, or that lost
matches, were put to death by a variety of methods, including shooting, drowning, hanging and
electrocution. Prosecutors allege that on one occasion earlier this year, Vick participated in the
killing of eight dogs.
Vick is one of pro football's highest-profile and highest-paid players, signing a 10-year, $130
million contract with the Falcons in 2004. He was a standout at Virginia Tech and the first player
chosen in the 2001 NFL draft.
In addition to his Falcons contract, he also has endorsement deals with several companies -- one
of which, shoe giant Nike, has suspended the release of a shoe bearing the quarterback's name.