List of 5 Time J! Champions Who Have Allegedly Sexually Assaulted A Minor

[Bamaman]

It will make for an awkward interview segment when Alex asks him what he's been up to since he was last on the show.

[cf1140]

What's TPTB's policy on matters like this? Can they just kick anyone out of a tournament they qualified for for any reason? Is there a vague moral turpitude clause in the contracts somewhere? If he gets exonerated later could he sue TPTB for leaving him out of the ToC? (maybe give him a spot in a future ToC?)

This got me thinking about Ryan Jenkins. What if a contestant did something really bad that made national news between film dates and air dates. I don't think Jeopardy can just cancel any/all episodes with a notorious contestant the way VH1 just took Megan Wants a Millionaire off the air.

[seaborgium]

What's TPTB's policy on matters like this? Can they just kick anyone out of a tournament they qualified for for any reason? Is there a vague moral turpitude clause in the contracts somewhere? If he gets exonerated later could he sue TPTB for leaving him out of the ToC? (maybe give him a spot in a future ToC?)

Jeopardy can invite whomever they want to ToCs. They do have objective criteria for selecting their field, but if they want to deviate from those, it's their prerogative. The paperwork contestants sign to be on the show specifically says (at least it did at the time I signed mine) that winning five games is not a guarantee of appearance in a ToC.

[Blue Lion]

Is the Mann Act still in effect?

Yes. However, to violate the act, one must "knowingly transport any individual in interstate commerce...with intent that such individual engage in...any sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense." There's no indication from the news story that he transported her across a state line; he might have met her in Wisconsin.

The Mann Act carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. He's looking at a maximum of 40 years under the applicable Wisconsin law.

As others pointed out, he hasn't been convicted; his trial is pending.

[OldSchoolChamp]

Thank goodness Vanya's here to tell us how law works.

A 28-year-old Arlington Heights, Ill., man is accused of having sexual contact on March 21 with a 15-year-old girl in Walworth County.

Jerome M. Slowik has been charged with sexual assault of a child under the age of 16.

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury . . . .

Every defendant in a criminal action is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved, and in case of a reasonable doubt is entitled to acquittal . . . .

 

[Golf]

It's a pretty exclusive list, I think:

http://www.lakegenevanews.net/Articles- ... arges.html

1 comment on the article so far, some dickbag informing whoever will listen about exactly how many Jeopardy wins he has and the ToC angle.

[Bamaman]

I doubt anyone is shocked he was the person to comment.

[Volante]

Every defendant in a criminal action is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved, and in case of a reasonable doubt is entitled to acquittal . . . .

 

Funniest thing I've read all day!

[OrangeSAM]

This is something he might regret for the rest of his life.

[billy pilgrim]

It's a pretty exclusive list, I think:

http://www.lakegenevanews.net/Articles- ... arges.html

1 comment on the article so far, some dickbag informing whoever will listen about exactly how many Jeopardy wins he has and the ToC angle.

Don't you mean to say "alleged dickbag"?

[lieph82]

Every defendant in a criminal action is presumed innocent until the contrary is proved, and in case of a reasonable doubt is entitled to acquittal . . . .

 

Funniest thing I've read all day!

Which country's legal system is this, OSC? We should copy it, it sounds pretty good!

[ArthurChu]

"Presumed innocent" means the government presumes you innocent. It doesn't mean that other people have to presume you innocent, or that they have to say they presume you innocent. You could only be guilty of libel if you said something that you personally knew to be factually false with malicious intent.

"OJ Simpson was actually convicted of murder but escaped from prison" would, for instance, be libel. "OJ Simpson was found not guilty of murder but I believe he did in fact do it" is not. If it were, probably half the country would be guilty of libel.

[ArthurChu]

Anyway it could be worse, at least he wasn't already a fugitive from justice when he competed on Jeopardy! using an assumed name and was recognized by one of his victims who saw him on TV and called it into the FBI.

[jeff6286]

I'm curious, did AP edit the thread title, or was it one of the moderators, to make sure that jboard didn't get sued for libel?

[legendneverdies]

Anyway it could be worse, at least he wasn't already a fugitive from justice when he competed on Jeopardy! using an assumed name and was recognized by one of his victims who saw him on TV and called it into the FBI.

Patrick Quinn AKA Kerry Ketchem did that and went on to win $60K on Super Password in early 1988.

[seaborgium]

It's almost as if Arthur were in fact referencing that exact occurrence, isn't it!

[Bamaman]

The article says he is charged with kissing her and touching her in a sexual manner. As he has not been charged with rape, to say he did rape her would seem to be saying something you know to be false.

If the genders of the two parties were reversed, would everyone here want to kick a 27 year old woman out of the TOC for doing this with a 15 year old boy?

[lieph82]

If the genders of the two parties were reversed, would everyone here want to kick a 27 year old woman out of the TOC for doing this with a 15 year old boy?

Yes.....or I would, at least, and I bet I'm not alone...

Seriously?

[Bamaman]

If the genders of the two parties were reversed, would everyone here want to kick a 27 year old woman out of the TOC for doing this with a 15 year old boy?

Yes.....or I would, at least, and I bet I'm not alone...

Seriously?

I think both are equally creepy but men seem to get in bigger trouble for the crime than do women.

There was someone back in the 80s that was on Jeopardy! that won one game and was arrested right after their show aired. They were wanted for something and the cops saw them on TV. I think the crime was financial, not sexual though.

[Mathew5000]

Arthur, your analysis of US libel law is not really correct because the "actual malice" rule is applicable only to public figures. Libel plaintiffs who are not public figures can win the case without proving actual malice. You might be assuming that because someone has appeared on Jeopardy he is a public figure, but that is not necessarily a safe assumption. I am not expressing any opinion on whether this individual is a "public figure" for purposes of defamation law. Also, I am not saying that the definition of "public figure" is the same across the US; perhaps it depends on the state whose laws are applicable.

In deciding what we want to say in a public forum like Jboard, we should also consider whether (a) we wish to follow our own ethical guidelines in addition to taking notice of applicable defamation law, or (b) defamation law is the only consideration.

I was the one who suggested that the moderators change the subject heading of this thread. I was not expressing a legal opinion. My thinking was that from an ethical perspective, the moderators might choose not to allow an inaccurate statement that an individual "raped someone" (when the individual was charged with a sexual offense, but not rape), even if there was no legal problem with the statement.