I am going to say this a different way and maybe communicate a little better. Ray Larson is the most respected Prosecutor in this state. We are lucky in Fayette County and Kentucky to have him. His office has been recognized many times both statewide and nationally for their professionalism and competence. They are the office other Commonwealth Attorney's offices go to for advice when they have thorny problems.
To think that some professor types( who may or may not have been to a seminar of the subject) on a committee can second guess them is ludicrous. Their standard to the grand jury was less than the 50.1% standard in a civil case.
My wife and I have been very dedicated to our university and have much of our time,talent and treasure tied up in it. I frankly will be very disappointed if this young man gets railroaded for any reason other than if he did it.
Larson's folks concluded their was no reason to believe her version of the facts over his and that should be the end of it.
If the answer here is that Larson's job was to do the right thing and the committee's job was to do the politically correct thing regardless of the harm and injustice down to a young man's career I really don't have any respect for the committee,
Lou, you keep stating the same thing over and over yet appear to gloss over very real possibility...that Ray didn't want the GJ to indict LT and therefore presented the case very weekly.
My wife and the wife of a well-respected DA in a major metropolitan southeastern city who has tried literally 1000’s of cases are good friends and sorority sisters. Through that relationship I’ve come to know “Tom” very well. We were in the city where they live 2 weeks ago and went to dinner together. While the wives caught up on their gossip and chit-chat I talked to Tom among other things…cases like Tubman’s. Tom says he sees literally 100 of these cases every year and that indictments are rarely sought in cases where the defendant has no prior history, that it involves a couple that has a romantic history and that the only disputed evidence are the opposing words of the couple. He also suggested that had LT been an anonymous student that the case would have never gone to the GJ. While no one would take notice if charges were dropped from Sammy Student, doing so with anyone of celebrity makes for a messier situation. It is cleaner to take the case to the GJ, present the case weakly and pray for no indictment.
I asked Tom directly, “Have you ever failed to get an indictment on a case you wanted to try?”. “Never”.
Your prejudice in this case is blinding you to the endless possibilities that exist. On one hand you speak to how well respected Ray is and say “They know that they have tremendous power and can indict anyone.Thus the old adage a prosecutor can indict a ham sandwich .They use their power and use it wisely. They do not abuse it.”.
There, you said it yourself…they could indict anyone. They didn’t think that this case was worth risking sending a young man to prison.
That doesn’t mean they don’t believe one party or the other. Perhaps a deal was worked out behind the scenes that the DA wouldn’t seek an indictment in exchange for simply removing LT from campus. A deal that saved UK and UK football from having the stain and negative publicity that would follow any trial and save LT from any future civil actions that could follow. Maybe there was no deal but Ray had a good idea what the SRB would do based on other similar cases and that was "good enough" for him. Nobody goes to prision, the taxpayer's money can be spent on trials of more substance.
The facts are that we don’t know all of the facts and therefore to draw conclusions like someone being “railroaded”, or base your support for an organization based on the actions taken by a committee is very myopic.
Let me add one thing... you said; "Larson's folks concluded their was no reason to believe her version of the facts over his and that should be the end of it. ". Any layer worth their salt will tell you that it doesn't matter what they believe, it only matters what you can prove. Not indicting most likely has zero to do with if he believes the woman or not.
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