DA defends plea on Skiatook coach

The fallout from a plea bargain that keeps Noonie RedEagle out of prison for hiding a video camera in a girl's locker room. The District Attorney that agreed to the deal defends his decision. KOTV's

Saturday, June 9th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

The fallout from a plea bargain that keeps Noonie RedEagle out of prison for hiding a video camera in a girl's locker room. The District Attorney that agreed to the deal defends his decision. KOTV's Sean Mossman says Larry Stuart denies that he had any special relationship with the RedEagle family. He adds that he gave no special treatment to the man seen hiding a video camera in a girlâ€™s locker room, but some families of those girls still think RedEagle got off too easy.

Osage County District Attorney Larry Stuart says he believes people in Skiatook are wrong when they say Noonie RedEagle got off light. He says RedEagle is being punished for taping schoolgirls undressing in a Skiatook locker room. He says the plea agreement, forcing RedEagle to register as a sex offender and serve twenty years probation, will punish him for the rest of his life. And he adds that he accepted the deal because he wasn't sure he'd get a conviction if the case went to trial. "You never know what twelve people are gonna do. You never know what just one out of that twelve is gonna do that causes a mistrial. That hangs us up." But the big hang-up for men like Mike Hayman, whose daughter was shown changing clothes on one of the tapes, is that RedEagle got very little jail time. In fact, the man seen hiding the camera in that locker room will spend only sixty days in Osage county jail. It was a decision that shocked not only Hayman, but also many casual observers who have seen the tape on local news.

Many thought RedEagle would surely spend at least a couple of years in state prison, but he won't. "When you see something like that, people want blood. That's why we have judges. That's why we have jurors. That's why we have district attorney's. We don't let mob rule." Since the plea was announced, Stuart has drawn criticism from some about a potential conflict of interest in the case. Some people have complained to the News on Six that Stuart and Harry RedEagle senior are close friends. Stuart says that while the two live in the same neighborhood in Hominy, they are not good friends, only acquaintances. Then came accusations to the News on Six that Noonie RedEagle, a childhood friend of Stuart's son, spent time staying at the Stuart home as a boy. "I have no idea where they come up with that. The truth of the matter is Noonie RedEagle never spent one night in my house. My son never spent one night at his house." Stuart says he believes he did the right thing for the people of Osage County, and for the girls victimized by Red Eagle. But, at least one family disagrees; saying only prison time for RedEagle would have been right by them.

RedEagle pleaded no contest to his six charges, and a judge found him guilty. He'll be formally sentenced in August at which time he'll be freed with time served. He will immediately have to register as a sex offender.