To which prison he would be remanded, depending on his sentencing, wasn’t immediately clear.
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Carney said he will request probation for Labrie.
He fired his New Hampshire lawyer and, after soliciting funds from former classmates and others at St. Paul’s, hired Boston lawyer J. W. Carney, who represented Boston mobster Whitey Bulger. Prosecutors had asked that bail be increased to $50,000 cash, insisting that he is a flight risk.
Prosecutors had several of Labrie’s friends testify that he told them the two had sex after the encounter.
Owen Labrie during the announcement of the verdict in his case. This morning we’re hearing reaction from the girl’s family following that decision. Labrie could be facing up to 11 years in prison. It calls her situation a “nightmare”.
Labrie has not yet been sentenced. He faces an additional four years behind bars for the misdemeanor charges.
“Her resolve and unwavering commitment to the truth have been inspiring to us and to many outside our school community”, Hirschfeld said.
The prosecution also produced a number of Labrie’s friends who testified that he told them the two did have sex. Though the jury ultimately decided that the victim did not clearly indicate by speech or conduct that she did not freely consent, as required by New Hampshire law, there is one heartening takeaway from the trial: that the jury was discussing consent at all.
Although Labrie was not convicted of the most serious charges he faced, he may still face jail time.
The girl’s story was complicated by seemingly friendly and flirtatious messages she sent to Labrie before and after the incident.
The parties are still in court waiting for the judge to announce a sentencing date.
The family said that a “measure of justice had been served” in a statement, but also that the prep school must “bear the shame” for essentially doing nothing to stop the Senior Salute tradition. It was in this context that Labrie emailed the girl and convinced her to meet in an isolated room in an attic. He was acquitted of three aggravated felonious sexual-assault charges and a misdemeanor assault charge. However, the family says there is no joy in the outcome because of what the girl has lost.
St. Paul’s, whose alumni include powerful U.S. business and political leaders such as Secretary of State John Kerry, said the tradition did not accurately reflect its culture. He was acquitted of a felony sexual assault charge but found guilty of sex with a minor.
It was Labrie’s conviction for using a computer to entice the victim that exposes him to the harshest penalties. His mother sobbed into a tissue.
Labrie’s conviction, however, ensures that he’s added to the sex offender registry, Hostin said.
Owen Labrie, a 19-year-old Vermont man at the center of a high-profile New Hampshire prep school rape trial, had meant to study at Harvard University and become a minister. Labrie was convicted Friday of three misdemeanor counts of having sex with an underage person.
Deliberations went on for more than two days stretching over 7 hours.
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The case was closely watched and contributed to the ongoing national dialogue about sexual assault and cultural norms that victims’ advocates say contribute to sexual violence – such as St. Paul’s “senior salute”, in which senior boys attempt to get together with younger girls, sometimes pursuing them for sexual bragging rights.
