Victim's Dad lunges at Nassar in Court
February 2nd, 2018 at 9:42 AM ^
Yeah I'd probably do the same. Hopefully they don't charge him with anything and he gets control of himself.
February 2nd, 2018 at 9:45 AM ^
Agree! It would be hard to not do that, I'm sure he will be getting lunged at plenty.
February 2nd, 2018 at 5:52 PM ^
I too feel for that man. That should have been "Victims' Father" in the OP to signify plural. There are points at which the penalties in our legal system fall short of justice.
February 2nd, 2018 at 9:56 AM ^
Yeah, hopefully they don't charge him. I hope he finds a way through this. The healing process would probably be helped by having time alone with him, and that is probably what Nassar deserves, but he won't get the chance.
February 2nd, 2018 at 2:26 PM ^
I can tell you from experience, being family to a victim of a violent crime, perpetuating the cycle of violence by hurting someone else does not help in the healing process.
February 2nd, 2018 at 2:48 PM ^
'Margraves was restrained by sheriff's deputies and hauled out of court. He returned a few hours later to apologize to Judge Janice Cunningham, who said there was "no way" she would punish him under her contempt of court powers. She noted the anguish felt by families over Nassar's crimes.'
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/international/ct-victims-father-at…
February 2nd, 2018 at 5:50 PM ^
Wasn't he charged with assaulting a cop or something because the officer broke a sweat chasing him?
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:18 AM ^
If they did charge him, I'm guessing he could claim temporary insanity... What jury isn't going to believe that seeing that man that sexually assaulted your daughters couldn't do that to you?
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:23 AM ^
is really nothing to charge him with. Disorderly conduct? I don't think he assaulted any officers or touched Nassar.
And no, "temporary insanity" or any variation of it would probably not fly unless he only very recent was made aware of the abuse (like this morning) or he had no reason to believe that Nassar would be there.
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:26 AM ^
Resisting and Obstructing is pretty common in these sorts of circumstances.
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:27 AM ^
would have to see a video to determine if it could even rise to that level in any circumstances. (But they are certainly not going to charge him in this circumstance).
February 2nd, 2018 at 11:07 AM ^
it is worth a look. OP has the link in her post.
Two of his three daughters were present.
February 2nd, 2018 at 2:04 PM ^
That's the thing I think is missing from this discussion...my sympathies are with the girls first and foremost, more than with the dad, and him acting like this is making an already traumatic experience for them much worse. It's not pleasant to see your parent taken down and arrested.
You can hear one of the girls yelling "Dad, stop!" during it.
I hope he's not charged, but I'm not going to applaud him for this outburst either.
February 2nd, 2018 at 11:50 AM ^
If anything the judge could hold him in contempt, but she seemed fairly sympathetic. Since it happened rights in the courtroom, the judge has the opportunity to rule on his actions right then and there.
February 2nd, 2018 at 12:20 PM ^
Well considering the judges in east landfill charge violent would-be felons with only LITTERING, then he should not get charged.
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:47 AM ^
Could be seen as a threat, contempt it court, idk... They won't charge him, but I was saying if they did for some reason. I think he could claim that even though he already knew about the abuse, seeing him that close for the first time causd him to go temporarily insane. He would just have to convince a judge and jury, which would all probably be wishing he was able to hit Nassar...
February 2nd, 2018 at 2:12 PM ^
You can't claim insanity when you ask the judge if you can fight Nassar in a locked room. It was premeditated but I doubt he gets charged with anything.
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:56 AM ^
There are plenty of things to charge him with. Disturbing the Peace, Resist Obstruct, maybe even some sort of Obstructing justice. My bet is that he gets charged but ends up with some sort of deferred sentence. I don't blame the guy but you just can't allow that kind of stuff no matter how much the guy deserves it.
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:59 AM ^
won't get charged. Possibly contempt with a fine but nothing more than that.
February 2nd, 2018 at 11:03 AM ^
The main reason I think he is charged is because the world is watching and if people see that there are no real consequences for this, it would be more likely to continue. Contempt would be a good way to handle it. The guy doesn't deserve a conviction for a crime out of this but like I said, the world is watching.
February 2nd, 2018 at 12:59 PM ^
is exactly why he WON'T be charged. Judges are elected officials.
February 2nd, 2018 at 6:41 PM ^
He actually could have used that. While he knew of the abuse he had just got done hearing his daughters statements some information they hadn’t shared before.
February 2nd, 2018 at 12:18 PM ^
It's not about having a good defense (his actions are very understandable), its about avoiding the hassle of dealing with the legal system in the first place. If he did get charged, he'd undoubtedly be able to talk it down to a tiny slap on the wrist. But its a huge hassle, even if there's no penalty. I doubt he gets charged.
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:57 AM ^
there's a very good chance I would be lead out of court like that also. Don't think there is much they can really charge him with, contempt of court, my guess is he gets fined and not allowed in the court for any further proceedings.
February 2nd, 2018 at 9:43 AM ^
And especially the victims, But I have to assume there is a huge amount of guilt held by the parents. This can happen to anyone’s child but for it to happen to 3 of his daughters makes me wonder if any of the 3 tried to tell the father about it and he ignored it.
February 2nd, 2018 at 9:57 AM ^
Agree with your first point about the guilt. My husband's brother, who is 55, revealed to his mother several years ago that he was molested when he was 12. She is wracked with guilt - why didn't she notice a difference in his behavior? Why wasn't she there to protect him? etc...If I was the parent, the guilt would consume me.
February 2nd, 2018 at 9:57 AM ^
Agree with your first point about the guilt. My husband's brother, who is 55, revealed to his mother several years ago that he was molested when he was 12. She is wracked with guilt - why didn't she notice a difference in his behavior? Why wasn't she there to protect him? etc...If I was the parent, the guilt would consume me.
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:01 AM ^
Yeah I would definitely blame myself to some extent as her father, whether or not it makes sense.
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:03 AM ^
There have definitely been some stories about parents not believing their kids (I think at least one mother made her daughter apologize to Nassar, accusing the daughter of making the allegation up). At least one victim statement was about how her father killed himself over the guilt he felt.
February 2nd, 2018 at 9:44 AM ^
I'm 100% with this guy. While I understand that our legal system can't allow it to happen, Nassar deserves whatever this guy would've given him and more.
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:01 AM ^
The judge did her job, the deputies did their job, and the father did his job. You know the father lives with guilt everyday whether it's warranted or not.
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:23 AM ^
Oh, for sure. I can only imagine what this father must feel like. THREE daughters, and given all the stories of Nassar doing this heinous shit with parents in the room, he might've been there during some of the times.
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:38 AM ^
is not being said the "blame" parents or anybody except for Nassar, the victims and parents alike are all victims, but with the reports of some of the parents in the room..... I don't know. After reading those reports, I kind of came away with a very ugly and uneasy feeling about gymnastics in general.
Like, how much difference could it make to a parent whether it was legitimate medical treatment or not? The actual "act" of what is being done is similar enough that the two can be confused by parents in the room? Eh. It would seem to me that if I was the parent involved, whether it was "treatment" or not, once I was told what the "treatment" involved I would have been on my way out the door with my daughter and going to sign her up for like basketball or something. Like, "why don't we just get you involved in a sport where that doesn't happen" for any reason, medical or not.
Once again, I am not blaming the parents, I wasn't there and wasn't in there shoes. But if there is a sport where that kind of "treatment" is even used regularly to the extent that it could be accepted as legitimate (or confused as such), should that really be a sport anymore?
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:59 AM ^
The way I understand it, Nassar would obscure the parent's view while the "procedure" was performed. Either with lab equipment or a curtain, or even with his own body.
Parents trusted the guy because he was a USA Gymnastics coach, he was highly regarded, so in their minds, he must be on the up and up.
February 2nd, 2018 at 11:07 AM ^
get it, but what I am saying is that, one way or another, parents that were literally in the room were nearly 100% made aware, before, during, or subsequently (by their daughters) what the "treatment" entailed, at least in general terms. I understood they thought it was legit, but I guess I can't see the distinction between "legitimate" and "illegitimate" being the only factor in my calculus there.
What I am saying that if there is such a sport where such a treatment is sometimes legitimately used for optimal performance, that is very likely not a sport a want my daughter performing optimally in. Is that fair? It may not be, it is just want I found myself thinking upon reading that parents were in the room at times.
February 2nd, 2018 at 11:14 AM ^
As much as I hated getting checked for hernias when I was playing football in grade school, I am pretty sure I would have hated it even more if it involved a digital rectal exam. Probably would have called it quits. Not sure I would want my daughter or son involved in sport where evaluation/treatment of their genitalia promotes optimal results.
February 2nd, 2018 at 1:06 PM ^
Nassar was incredibily calculating. One of the victims had mentioned at the first hearing (I think) that she thought he found out early on how easy it was. He seemed to approach his molestation of the girls in degrees. If a parent was in the room, his back was turned, they couldn't see exactly what he was doing, and he somehow got them to accept that the famous doctor was performing a legit procedure that helped back pain by massaging the pelvic floor (or whatever). He wouldn't have used this "technique" for a twisted ankle, and he wouldn't have also massaged a girl's breasts while a parent was in the room. However, once he gained trust of the parents, the abuse probably escalated.
February 2nd, 2018 at 1:31 PM ^
am saying something a little more basic.
Doctor - "Yeah, looks like we there is some pain here, and what I am going to have to do is insert my fingers here and massage the pevic floor, got it?"
Me - "What the hell? No. Like, no no no no. Not at all. That is 0% OK."
Doctor - "Well, this will eliminate some pain and allow her to participate in gymnastic to the best of her ability."
Me - "Seriously? No. Put your fingers away. I guess we aren't doing gymnastics anymore, then. If this is the kind of treatment my daughter needs to perform in gymnastics, then performing in gymnastics is not something I am interested in her doing."
And I am using this exchange as an example of when the treatment could have been hypothetically completely legitimate. In some cases, the girls that such a procedure would be legitimately performed on are very, very young. If such a treatment were ever proposed on my daughter, even assuming it was 100% legit, I think I would take her out of gymnastics before allowing it to be performed.
February 2nd, 2018 at 9:45 AM ^
Wonder how Judge Aquilina would have responded to that request.
February 2nd, 2018 at 9:57 AM ^
... on whether it would help her in a run for the Michgan Supreme Court this fall.
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:14 AM ^
Holy fuck.
Don’t want that woman anywhere near a higher court.
February 2nd, 2018 at 9:57 AM ^
Dramatically, and with a self-promoting response rather than acting like a serious jurist.
February 2nd, 2018 at 9:45 AM ^
Violence *usually* isn't the answer but I am surprised this hasn't happened sooner to him or Geddert or the former gymnastics coach Klages. Death is too easy a punishment for Nassar but someone powerbombing him through a table in court would be a start.
February 2nd, 2018 at 10:01 AM ^
People always say violence is never the answer but, historically it's been the only answer anyone gives.
Even in a protective custody situation, good luck finding a prison where Nassar didn't have an effect on someone family. If this guy lives 3 years in prison I'm shocked.
February 2nd, 2018 at 12:17 PM ^
Sandusky is still alive and it has been over six years at this point.
February 2nd, 2018 at 9:46 AM ^
just like Jeff Dahmer was.
February 2nd, 2018 at 9:52 AM ^
Don't they normally put monsters like Nassar in protective solitary so that that doesn't happen?
Because you're correct, even amongst criminals, child molesters are viewed as beyond the pale. I'm reminded of the story of a burgler breaking into a house to rob it, finding a bunch of child pornography, and calling the cops on himself so they could take care of the home owner too.
February 2nd, 2018 at 9:59 AM ^
My 2nd cousin is a prison guard in a high security prison, and while you are correct that that's what *should* happen, the guards and the inmates know exactly why everyone is in there. I can tell you that almost all of the guards turn a blind eye to what they consider to be adequate justice. There's a lot of truth to the saying, "there's honor even among thieves."
I can guarantee you that wherever Nassar ends up, every inmate and guard in that prison will know exactly what he did. Given how high profile that case was, he may even remain protected for a while, but I wouldn't expect that to last. I'd guarantee someone will end up giving him the beating (and likely much worse) that this man would have given him.