CONCERNED CITIZENS TO PROTEST AT COURTHOUSE TODAY
A group of concerned citizens will gather today in front of Nesbett Courthouse to protest the limited-release of accused rapist and Anchorage Police Officer Anthony Rollins. On October 5th, a bail hearing was held in which Judge Phillip Volland modified third party conditions to allow for electronic ankle monitoring and house arrest that included a provision to allow Rollins to still attend church while awaiting trial.
“Alaskan women deserve better than this,” said Kirsten Stolle, a concerned citizen working to organize today’s rally. “Officer Rollins stands accused of raping six different women while on duty, and is now free to cause more pain.”
“Our state leads the nation in so many of tragic sexual abuse statistics. It’s time for our legal system to send a strong message to perpetrators that Alaskans simply won’t stand for it.”
Officer Rollins is currently under house arrest where he is living with his wife, who is also an acting Sergeant with the Anchorage Police Department.
Today’s rally will be held in front of Nesbett Courthouse (corner of 4th and I Street) at noon.
This guy is still innocent until proven guilty, but if he did what he is accused of he is a bad character indeed and should be locked up where he cannot hurt any more helpless victims.
You can bet that I will be there today because this is not a woman's issue, this is a human rights issue!
NOBODY should be allowed to hurt those that are unable to defend or stand up for themselves, regardless of their gender.
As you said, Gryphen, he is innocent until proven guilty. I can understand rallying in support of rape victims, but to rally against the bail arrangements of a particular accused person is wrong. It negates the principle of presumed innocence which is one of the pillars of our legal system.
ReplyDeleteSix victims, 13 felony counts against him.
ReplyDeleteI think in this case we err on the side of caution. What message does it sent to the people he victimized if he gets to stay in the comfort of his home while they are caged by the memory of his brutality?
Having been wrongly accused myself twice and being treated like I was guilty instead of innocent until proven guilty(and believing it prevented me from getting justice in the end)I can't agree with the protest. I was a victim of a gang rape when I was young myself so I understand the harm it does. I also know our civil liberties have been erroded and even the most horrible criminal deserves a fair trial.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I could agree with you maybe if there were only one victim, but there are six that we know of, which fits the definition of serial rapist, in my opinion. If he's not guilty of these crimes, he'll have a chance to prove it at his trial, but I've never heard of a case where an alleged serial rapist is allowed this kind of bail leniency pending trial.
ReplyDeleteAnd what if it were just a women's issue, Gryphen? Wouldn't you still be at the protest?
ReplyDeleteCelia nobody is asking that this guy be convicted without a fair trial. We just want him to be off of the streets until he gets it. If he did indeed rape six women then he represents a definite threat to the community.
ReplyDeleteAnd Anonymous 3:04 you are right, I would have gone if it had just been about protecting women. But my point was that MEN should have shown up at this rally as well, instead of leaving it up to the ladies to stand out there in the rain as if this were solely a female issue.
And since I was the only guy there I was talked into giving an interview to KTUU about why this was NOT just a female issue.
Violence against any of us is violence against all of us.
You're absolutely right, Gryphen, and I knew you would go in any case. It is reprehensible that no other men thought this event was worthy of their time. In fact it is disgusting.
ReplyDeleteI must make a correction.
ReplyDeleteThere WAS one other guy there. But when I pointed him out to the KTUU reporter she said that when she asked him why he was there he had gestured toward his wife and said that she had made him come.
I guess what I should have said is that I was the only man there under my own free will.
About that innocent until proven guilty stuff - there is a lot of misunderstanding. That is the rule when you enter the courtroom for trial.
ReplyDeletePeople are not arrested because they are presumed to be innocent. Quite the contrary. Bail is set, or the person is held pending trial, because they are presumed guilty. The question of flight risk and/or harm to society must be considered base upon the nature of the crimes that have been charged. If we considered everyone innocent until the trial has been held, no one would ever be held pending trial or subject to bail requirements, such as turning in their firearms and house arrest.
gryphen, thank you as a rape victim (25 yrs ago) the damage continues long after the attack. Why is this man out on bail?? If he had beaten this many men up he would be held with "no bail". Why are crimes against women and children in our society overlooked. What really makes the crime even worse is that this man was in a position of authority in our society.
ReplyDeleteRape is a crime of extreme violence. How on earth does a judge rationalize setting bail for someone, for something like that? When someone is charged with murder, do they get bail.
ReplyDeleteThis is very disturbing to me. Those poor victims must feel so terrorized. First by Rollins...then by the system
You looked fine on video. This news clip reached many thousands of viewers - you, AKM and the others are sending out a powerful message that rape is no longer going to be a second class crime. Thanks for helping put a face on that protest.
ReplyDelete