Bixby Football Players Accused Of Rape To Be Tried As Juveniles

A judge has ruled that the four Bixby football players accused of rape will be tried in the juvenile system. This likely means the players will get counseling, and the records will be sealed.

Attorneys for the four young men said it's not just their opinion the teenagers should be sent to juvenile court, it's the opinion of psychologists and even the office of juvenile affairs.

9/4/2018 Related Story: Judge To Decide Next Week If Bixby Rape Suspects To Be Tried As Juveniles

Joe Wood, Colton Cable, Samuel Lakin, and Will Thomas were charged as youthful offenders.

Court documents show that the court looked at several factors in its decision to certify the four as juveniles, including the nature of the offense with which they are charged, any history they have with law enforcement or the criminal or juvenile justice systems, their intelligence and maturity, the risk of committing future offenses, and the likelihood of rehabilitation within the juvenile system.

According to court documents, all four underwent psychological assessments.  The test results indicated that each had at least adequate intelligence, would be amenable to treatment, and present a low risk of reoffending.

Defense attorneys said the four are the perfect candidates for treatment under the law for reasons that include they have no criminal history, their testing shows they have a low risk to commit other crimes, they had no sexual intent, and the victim had no physical injuries.

Another factor the court looked at is the amount of time for rehabilitative treatment if the four were treated as youthful offenders or as juveniles.  According to the court, if deemed youthful offenders, treatments would have to be completed by the age of 18 and a half years;  however, if certified as juveniles, they could receive treatment within the juvenile system until age 19.

Court documents show that, based on each of those factors, and with the prosecution presenting no "clear and convincing evidence" to the contrary, all four were certified as juveniles and all future proceedings will be held in juvenile court.