Luke Heimlich - assaulting niece and MLB bound?

[the 'stache]

Well, Pandora's Box is now officially open.

After seeing this topic, I pulled out my Sports Illustrated (dated May 21, 2018), and re-read the article on Heimlich; the cover story, written by S.L. Price, is incredibly unnerving, and yet difficult to put down simply because the matter is unprecedented. This is a young man at the beginning of his adult life, vying for a job as a professional athlete, concurrent with the highest level of visibility and scrutiny imaginable.



Anybody wanting to participate in this discussion should read the article first. Make sure you have the facts-don't assume. Conjecture has a way of making these kinds of topics veer out of control.

Firstly, as of the article's publication, Heimlich's records have been sealed, and his rehabilitation has been deemed a success....in the state of Washington, where he is from, and where the crime occurred. The same cannot be said in Oregon, where he goes to school. He is still registered as an offender, and must notify authorities whenever he moves.

It needs to be pointed out that this was not a one time occurrence. While the article does not specify how many times Heimlich assaulted his niece, it first happened when she was four years old (he was thirteen); the last alleged occurrence happened when she was six, and he was fifteen.

I understand the argument that he was still considered a minor, and as such, his brain was still developing. The article in SI also points out how the juvenile court system has a different motivation than the criminal court system that handles adult cases-juvenile courts attempt to rehabilitate offenders if possible, while the criminal court system handling adult cases seek punitive measures (except for in cases of mental illness). Luke Heimlich was classified as a level 1 sex offender (least likely to repeat his offense); the article states that since he entered the program, he's followed every step required. And statistics show that these sex offenders have an incredibly low rate of recidivism (2.5%).

As far as his pleading guilty, and writing out a confession, he states that he did so to avoid a long trial that would play out in the public. He also didn't want to force his niece to take the stand. The article references multiple legal experts who state this is not uncommon. Heimlich was told that if he completed the five years of probation, and the court-prescribed biweekly counseling, his records would be sealed, and he would no longer need to register as a sex offender. He thought that if he did everything by the book, this would, essentially, be in the past. And it might have been. His arrest was only made public because the state of Oregon issued a citation stating that he failed to properly register; however, he did everything that he was required to do. My understanding is that the citation was essentially due to a clerical error. When a reporter for the local paper in Oregon did a standard background check prior to doing a feature article on Heimlich, the citation showed in public records, and the floodgates opened.

I don't know how to feel about this. On the one hand, I'm a Christian, and believe in forgiving those who are genuinely remorseful for what they've done. And, as previously stated, he's done everything the law has required of him. The state of Washington views it as Heimlich's paying his debt to society in full.

But it's just not that simple. It does boil down to a he said, she said, with the accuser being a young girl. There were no witnesses to the crime, so how can it be proven conclusively that he did what he was accused of? I didn't see (nor do I want to know) if there was any physical proof of the crime. And then there's the very fact that Heimlich states he did not do it. He has vehemently denied the accusation. The only time he's stated he did it was when accepting a plea deal that threw out the first felony charge (for when his niece was four).

I've tried to put myself in his head. One of the tenets of criminal law in the United States is that the accused is considered "innocent until proven guilty". Well, the court of public opinion is something entirely different. Let's say that he decided to fight the charges. It's easy to say that he should have fought it tooth and nail, professing his innocence from the top of every rooftop. But consider this-once Luke Heimlichs' name is publicly linked to sexually assaulting a minor, there's no turning back. That's a stain on his name forever, even if the court finds that he's innocent of the crime. There will always be people who think he did it. Once you let the genie out of the bottle, you can't put it back in. I don't think it's at all difficult to understand why he choose to plea out. If he fights the charges in court, he loses no matter what happens. If he wins, even though he's an elite talent, possessing the kind of ability that would likely have had him taken in the first round of the amateur draft, teams still avoid taking a chance on him. Not only is it highly likely he never plays in the Major Leagues, even if he's signed, he can kiss any endorsement deals goodbye. And the stigma of being a sex offender still follows him, regardless of any jurisprudence.

We're likely never going to know for sure what happened. I feel terribly for the little girl. I can't imagine she'd lie, but is it possible? Could a parent have coached her to say what she did? The niece's mother divorced her husband. I'm not going to delve into the possible motivations for coaching her daughter-I want to believe that a mother would not put her own daughter through that. Either alternative is terrible to think of-either the little girl was assaulted by a loved one over the course of two years, or, she was coached into lying. That child is likely scarred for life, and that knowledge makes me incredibly angry.

If I had a young daughter, would I ever let her near this guy? Absolutely not. If I had a young son, how would I react if one day he came home wearing a Luke Heimlich baseball jersey? This whole thing makes my head spin, and my stomach turn.

[1952boyntoncollector]

I still dont understand how his court appointed counseling can be deemed a success when his own quote says he maintained his innocence throughout the whole process.. what was all of this treatment for? Playing games with the system doesnt help the system. You arent moving on with your life if you just plead guilty to a sex crime. Its one thing if its for trespassing or maybe domestic batter, but man, i wouldnt plea gulity to a murder to get on with my life and just tell everyone i was really innocent etc..

We can take it a step further...what if he admitted he was guilty and everyone agrees he was guilty including him...the fact that he was a minor at the time still makes you think he should be able to get a job if the talent is there..

I dont know why his claiming innocence has anything to do with it. Otherwise every time we are dealing with someone that pleads 'guilty' we will then be having a second trial of public opinion of whether they were 'really guilty'

He could of gone to trial and lost and still claimed innocence...if lost a he said she said trial, i think he makes a better case of innocence.........

there are lot of guys on death row that lost at trial but then project innocence or something like that later proved they they were innocent by dna or whatever...if that same guy pleaded guilty to move on with their life i dont think project innocense gets involved......basically to me pleading guilty for such a bad crime still is a big deal to me....even bigger then losing a trial but maintaining innocence when the evidence is weak..

if you arent guilty, what are you really putting your 'victim' through. Why worry about her issues at trial if she is the liar.

Also the victim mother in this case i believe still thinks he did it...but again does it really matter...

[packs]

I have no doubt that ownership has taken potential teammates and how they'd feel under consideration. Baseball is supposed to be a family friendly sport and venue, but would families feel comfortable at an event he attended?

[clydepepper]

As hard as I, personally, am on crime and due punishment...this reminds me how vital it is that any criminal investigation be done efficiently and without fanfare.

Today's social media has made a bad situation much, much worse. Folks, even like you and I, can sit behind keyboards and whittle away at the character of people we've never met.

All that being said, I will not straddle the fence...I simply do not know the Boy or any of those involved...so I won't voice even a neutral opinion...I will just hope that those who do know him and the situation, will do the right thing...and that we all learn from it..

[hedgefund96]

Originally Posted by clydepepper

As hard as I, personally, am on crime and due punishment...this reminds me how vital it is that any criminal investigation be done efficiently and without fanfare.

Today's social media has made a bad situation much, much worse. Folks, even like you and I, can sit behind keyboards and whittle away at the character of people we've never met.

All that being said, I will not straddle the fence...I simply do not know the Boy or any of those involved...so I won't voice even a neutral opinion...I will just hope that those who do know him and the situation, will do the right thing...and that we all learn from it..

Well stated

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

If I had a young daughter, would I ever let her near this guy? Absolutely not. If I had a young son, how would I react if one day he came home wearing a Luke Heimlich baseball jersey? This whole thing makes my head spin, and my stomach turn.

This sums up my feelings pretty damn well.

[Econteachert205]

If I wereadvising him I'd say go play overseas in Japan for a few years.

[pokerplyr80]

I am not in favor of ruining someone's life or career over one mistake, especially since this occurred as a minor and the record was supposed to be sealed. He has served his sentence, and deserves a chance to earn a living in my opinion.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by pokerplyr80

I am not in favor of ruining someone's life or career over one mistake, especially since this occurred as a minor and the record was supposed to be sealed. He has served his sentence, and deserves a chance to earn a living in my opinion.

So does serving sentence matter? To me would depend on what the one mistake is to see about if it ruins your life.

Lots of bad guys do horrific crimes and serve their sentence that you wouldnt want to play baseball. I never understood the 'serve your sentence' argument There is earning a living doing things and earning a living in the public forum of baseball. I am sure some will argue he deserves to earn a living but not in baseball.

Rae Carruth served his sentence, if he could still play in the NFL noone would hire him, even if the murder he committed was his only one mistake and even if he did it as 17 year old minor for sake of argument

[earlywynnfan]

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

So does serving sentence matter? To me would depend on what the one mistake is to see about if it ruins your life.

Lots of bad guys do horrific crimes and serve their sentence that you wouldnt want to play baseball. I never understood the 'serve your sentence' argument There is earning a living doing things and earning a living in the public forum of baseball. I am sure some will argue he deserves to hearn a living but not in baseball.

Rae Carruth served his sentence, if he could still play in the NFL noone would hire him, even if the murder he committed was his only one mistake and even if he did it as 17 year old minor for sake of argument

I don't understand the "earn a living, but not playing baseball " line. If he had an overwhelming talent for architecture, would you let him do that? Or can he only earn a living at something menial and demeaning? What is the line? And please don't tell me it's a "privilege" to play pro sports, not with all the A-Holes people cheer for today.

I think this is such a difficult dilemma, but to me, if he deserves a second chance, he deserves it at what he does best. His crime was against a child, so keep him away from children (which he appears to have been doing in college ), but I think he deserves to play.

[earlywynnfan]

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

So does serving sentence matter? To me would depend on what the one mistake is to see about if it ruins your life.

Lots of bad guys do horrific crimes and serve their sentence that you wouldnt want to play baseball. I never understood the 'serve your sentence' argument There is earning a living doing things and earning a living in the public forum of baseball. I am sure some will argue he deserves to hearn a living but not in baseball.

Rae Carruth served his sentence, if he could still play in the NFL noone would hire him, even if the murder he committed was his only one mistake and even if he did it as 17 year old minor for sake of argument

I don't understand the "earn a living, but not playing baseball " line. If he had an overwhelming talent for architecture, would you let him do that? Or can he only earn a living at something menial and demeaning? What is the line? And please don't tell me it's a "privilege" to play pro sports, not with all the A-Holes people cheer for today.

I think this is such a difficult dilemma, but to me, if he deserves a second chance, he deserves it at what he does best. His crime was against a child, so keep him away from children (which he appears to have been doing in college ), but I think he deserves to play.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by earlywynnfan

I don't understand the "earn a living, but not playing baseball " line. If he had an overwhelming talent for architecture, would you let him do that? Or can he only earn a living at something menial and demeaning? What is the line? And please don't tell me it's a "privilege" to play pro sports, not with all the A-Holes people cheer for today.

I think this is such a difficult dilemma, but to me, if he deserves a second chance, he deserves it at what he does best. His crime was against a child, so keep him away from children (which he appears to have been doing in college ), but I think he deserves to play.

baseball is more of a public domain that being an architect...you need a community to support a baseball team...tax dollars...bringing familiies for family day....tons of special days and events for the public....

there isnt children run the bases after someone submits architecture plans...

again, i am on the fence in this..but you cant deny there is a difference in earning a living as an architect versus making millions based on public support in an entertainment type business. He doesnt have to have a job thats demeaning...but earning a living doesnt have to be playing baseball..he can earn a living doing many other non demeaning things..even making millions and millions of dollars...but earn a living doesnt mean have to play MLB baseball..

and dont say there is politics in baseball.....there are many players that dont get a chance to play based on certain politics.(country they are from, who their agent is...alleged PED)..and not being able to play because of being a convicted child molester would not make make him more sympathetic than others




Perception is reality...and being in your face everyday playing baseball to the many cheers of the public is tough to stomach versus working in the back office submitting blueprints..even if he makes 10 million as an architect

Serving your times means something..but it doesnt mean you have no consequences in the future..

He could be a tax dodger or had many other types of crimes...but sex predator...after all i can see someone being convicted of some bad felony and attempt to get a job by saying 'its not like i was a convicted child molester' as a reason to have a second chance

you are entitled to have a second chance at life...but you arent entitled to have a second chance in everything........ i am a fan of giving people first chances (people who did not commit child molestation crimes) versus giving second chances......

[KCRfan1]

Originally Posted by pokerplyr80

I am not in favor of ruining someone's life or career over one mistake, especially since this occurred as a minor and the record was supposed to be sealed. He has served his sentence, and deserves a chance to earn a living in my opinion.

This was not a " one time " occurrence, or " one mistake ". The sexual assault occurred over a two year span.

He certainly deserves an opportunity to earn a living. It may not be as a professional athlete, but he certainly will be able to gain employment in some capacity. That will be up to whomever decides to hire him. However, baseball does not owe him that opportunity.

[1952boyntoncollector]

Originally Posted by Econteachert205

If I wereadvising him I'd say go play overseas in Japan for a few years.

so how many years do we all forget and he comes back to open arms

[packs]

I feel like when people say things like "one mistake shouldn't ruin a life" or "he paid his debt" that is really minimizing the victim's experience. A child who is assaulted is going to suffer from that assault for their entire life. There is no "debt paid" for them. They will always pay. And while I've heard his comments about his guilty plea, I don't see why anyone would plea to charges like those just to be over and done with the episode. It's not like he admitted to vandalism or something like that. Those were pretty disturbing charges to casually plead guilty to, if his comments are to be believed.

[pclpads]

A variation on the Heimlich Maneuver.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by 1952boyntoncollector

so how many years do we all forget and he comes back to open arms

I am pretty comfortable that the hecklers in every major league stadium will not forget...ever. He would need 5 consecutive Cy Youngs to stop getting boos in his home stadium.

Example: this is the headline for his performance in game 1 of the College WS -

"One bad inning sinks convicted child molester at College World Series"
By Associated Press June 27, 2018 | 12:56am


Anyone think that will stop anytime soon?

[Exhibitman]

I don't know what to say on this one. I will say this: in our hobby there are a number of convicted felons who are dealers. If you are willing to do business with them, having this kid play baseball shouldn't be all that troubling.

[packs]

Felon is a broad stroke though.