Grant Perry gets 12 Month Probation
Here is the Detroit News article which says he was sentenced under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act meaning the felony will be dropped if he completes his probation without incident. His court records will remain sealed so we aren't going to find out anything more.
Per the Lansing State Journal
His attorney says he's fighting to keep his scholarship. The interesting thing is this
Assistant Ingham County Prosecutor Christina Johnson called Perry's actions a "crime of arrogance, entitlement and power," though she said she doesn't believe there was a sexual intent in what he did.Edited to add Detroit News Link
It's entirely possible that her statement was scripted by her attorney.
Scripted or not, he shouldn't be on scholarship, nor with the team until his probation period is over. If Harbaugh goes full anti-Saban* and boots him for a year, I'd be very impressed.
* Saban not suspending Hand tells me that they really need that depth along the DL against FSU.
a sexual crime.
Remember, her attorney could be setting up for a civil suit against him and can tell the victim to say anything. All I have to go on is the prosecutor's statement.
12 months well worth it
Given that the prosecutor doesn't seem to be buying the victim's version of events, why should we?
The thing about victim's impact statements is that nobody really edits them except, maybe, the victim's lawyer (if they've retained one). But the prosecutor seemed to go out of her way to remove the "sexual" from the original "sexual assault" charge.
I won't render judgement, for or against Perry. Nor will I recommend that he be reinstated to the team, kicked off the team, etc. The reason is that I am not personally in possession of all the facts. I have limited experience, but suspect there is a lot more to this story. I have to trust that Harbaugh and the team support staff know enough of what happened to make both a compassionate and wise decision on how to proceed. That's good enough for me.
Again. Harbaugh knows right from wrong. Teaching situation.
If the victim is 100% accurate here- paraphrasing
"we had a verbal altercation and in front of several witnesses he grabbed me in my private areas to the point that it was beyond groping. Just ask any of the witnesses they will tell you."
"I couldnt make it through my senior year and cried everyday because of this altercation"
In this case what the hell is the prosecution doing exactly? Several witnesses to a heanious crime?
If Grant Perry is 100% accurate - again paraphrasing
"we had an altercation and she was way over the top. I moved her out of my way forcefully and I also went way over the top - in a non-sexual way"
"the police came and of course I took exception to me being the focus of their angst when we were both to blame. I tried to squirm my way out of their constraints."
"i Believe her final statements are an effort to get her final jab/revenge at me for acting like a jerk (we both did in my opinion)
In this case the punishment makes a lot more sense. I have no idea what really happened but if Grant Perrys sentencing tells me anything scenario 1 either didnt happen or the prosecuters did a terrible injustice to this young lady.
I mean from personal experience people have also been falsely accused by "victims" or know someone who has. People who are falsely accused are just as much a victim. To say that people are "victim shaming" by wanting to make 100% positive the victim is being honest, is not "victim shaming".
is a real thing. And there it too much of it.
But it is not really clear here that this is really victim shaming.
Some posters have raised a valid question: If the events were as described in the victim statement, then why did the prosecutor not insist in much more serious charges?
Something does not add up. I am not saying that the victim statement was necessarily inaccurate. But on the other hand it does not at all match up with the charges and plea agreement agreed to by the prosecution (or the judge accepting the plea deal).
Victim shaming is a real problem. But if you just knee jerk accuse anyone who ever raises a legit question of victim shaming then the 'victim shaming' allegation just becomes a way to silence legitmiate questions.
August 5th, 2017 at 12:35 AM ^
August 5th, 2017 at 12:36 AM ^
August 5th, 2017 at 12:36 AM ^
I dont really believe her story
So they got into an argument and Grant Perrys reaction is to grope her so hard that it traumatizes he for her entire senior year? Yeah ok
Oh oh and "Witnesses" seen it happen? You mean her drunk MSU roommates. Yeah very credible
I don't see Perry denying that it happened at all. I do see him appologizing for it happening.
I think the logical conclusion to draw is that it did happen and for her it was traumatic.
He was sentenced under the Holmes Youthful Offender Act so the conviction will be removed from his record if he completes probabtion without incident. I think this is a further indication of the judge and prosecutor's feelings about the case.
It's up to Perry now. Hopefully he learns from this. I see him cleaning stadium seats with a toothbrush for a year.
August 4th, 2017 at 10:17 PM ^
I'd make him sit for the period of his probation and if there are no problems, I'd allow him to rejoin the team at that point.
I hope he gets to play. I'd hope Harbaugh has talked to Perry at length and is able to determine his attitude toward this. Playing grabass at a bar is not an unusual sitution anymore. Should it occur, NO. If it were more serious the Lansing court would have hammered him.
August 5th, 2017 at 12:44 PM ^
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I raised my son to know better than to ever even think about what I read in her statement. But, as the perpetrator, he (Perry) can put this behind him and move on thinking of it as a drunken incident that he feels bad about.
My daughter and coaching girls' sports has taught me just how fragile their psyche can be. I'm not calling all girls/women weak but the differences between them are drastic. This woman (the victim) won't be able to just put this behind her as something that happened one time.
To me that's the difference and why Perry shouldn't see the field this year. In the big picture, seeing the field mean little to nothing. Keeping his scholarship and having the opportunity to understand the gravity of what he did is far more important than the opportunity to catch a ball and run around in front of a lot of people.