One of two men convicted in a rape case that made an Ohio town infamous is out of juvenile prison and back on the practice field for his high school football team. Two years after the event took place, Ma'lik Richmond was lining up at wideout for a scrimmage Tuesday morning. Richmond was released in January after serving nine months (of a one year sentence) in a detention center. In addition to his incarceration he'll also have to register as a sex offender every six months for the next 20 years.
His coach Reno Saccoccia had this to say about the development:
"He was back in school since January and was suspended from all extracurricular activities for the remainder of the year. I feel that we're not really giving him a second chance. Some may look at it like that. I feel he has earned a second chance. We don't deal in death sentences for juvenile activity, and I just feel that he's earned a second chance. I've thought about it hard, and I'm with that decision. He's one of 55 players that are in good standing with their teammates and their coaches who have the same opportunity as any other player."
Tim Streid, the Ohio High School Athletic Association Information Director, said it was the school's decision and also said that he thinks "some schools would've handled it differently." One thing nobody was thinking about was what Richmond's return would mean for Steubenville's depth at wide receiver.
Oh wait, except maybe for this guy:
Probably not the best tweet of the day.
[via WTOV]
