Earlier this week, John Enochs pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery after being charged with raping two women on a college campus. After the plea deal sparked controversy, the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office issued a statement explaining the decision. They said each case (which took place two years apart, one in 2013 and one in 2015) had weaknesses, and that a jury for each one would not be allowed to hear about the other, which led to their decision. They also said that the initial plea agreement was for a felony battery charge, but the judge used his discretion to downgrade it to a misdemeanor.
The parents of the alleged victims released their own statement, obtained by LawNewz.com, expressing their displeasure over the outcome, and revealing that prosecutors never even notified their daughters of the plea bargain, let alone consulted with them.
“They were never told a plea agreement was even being discussed with Mr. Enochs’ attorneys,” the parent’s said. “They were shocked to learn the charges in one case had been dismissed and an insignificant plea had been reached in the other case. They learned of these outcomes not from the prosecuting attorneys, but second-hand.”
They said that the statement from the Prosecutor’s Office left out pertinent information about “many critical pieces of evidence” that a jury could have found persuasive. The parents believe the prosecutor’s statement was “an attempt to save face when confronted with the type of intense scrutiny our daughters have faced since they decided to come forward.”
Their daughters are thankful that many people have taken their side throughout this ordeal, the parents said. “Our daughters appreciate the support being expressed to them by thousands of people they do not know and will likely never know.”
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