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Published on: October 24, 2017

School Bus Driver Arrested for DUI 11 Minutes after Route Ended

On Tuesday afternoon in Warren County, Kentucky, a school bus driver was involved in a traffic accident with another vehicle eleven minutes after dropping off the last of the 25 middle school and high school passengers on his route. He was suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol.

As stated in the police report, Warren County Public School bus driver Robert Marlette made impact with a Dodge truck traveling in the opposite direction as the bus at 4:01 p.m. When the sheriff’s department arrived at the scene a deputy spoke with the driver of the truck, and he claimed Marlette was driving the school bus down the center of the road when it crashed into him.

A deputy interviewing Marlette reported that the accused had bloodshot eyes and smelled of liquor. After a preliminary breath test showed positive results, he was issued a standard field sobriety test which he failed. Marlette was arrested and taken to the hospital for medical clearance, and while there he consented to a blood draw.

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Published on: October 14, 2017

Verdict Reached in Female Teacher Accused of Sex with Student

by Staycie R. Sena

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A former culinary arts school teacher, Nichole Noel Thiel, was accused by her former student of having sex with him when he was 16 years old at her condominium in Idaho for a period lasting over two years. Thiel was 46 years old when the incidents allegedly took place.

The teen said it all started when he came across the teacher crying and upset and he gave her a hug. He said that she kissed him on the cheek and later he claimed she picked him up from his father’s home to take him back to her Coeur d’Alene home to have sex. He wouldn’t report the incident to his school counselor until the following year.

Thiel maintained her innocence throughout the investigation and trial. Due to the time that had passed, investigators were not able to find any physical evidence of the crime, so prosecutors were forced to rely almost entirely upon the testimony of witnesses. Throughout the trial, Thiel relied upon the support of her friends, colleagues, and family. From others, opinions of Thiel were harsh. Allegations of adults having sex with minors creates a sense of disgust, hysteria, and drives a “guilty-until-proven-innocent” rush to judgement from many in the community. Simply being arrested for a crime is often enough to convince people of guilt. Throughout the trial, criminal defense attorney Michael G. Palmer fought for Thiel’s innocence and realized she was faced with a teen who said that the sex happened and the only way to be acquitted was to somehow prove it didn’t.

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Published on: October 6, 2017

Teacher Accused of Choking Students with Jump Rope

by Staycie R. Sena

A physical education teacher working at Herndon Barstow Elementary School in the Clovis Unified School District has been accused of punishing students by briefly constricting their necks with a jump rope. The victims are all children between the ages of 9 and 11.

Detectives reported that the incident occurred on Thursday afternoon when the teacher, Peter Samhammer, allegedly utilized disciplinary measures consisting of holding a jump rope around their necks for a brief time before releasing them. Visible red marks were left on the neck and shoulder areas of the victims.

The Central Unified School District responded to the situation by releasing a statement confirming that Samhammer, who worked as a seasonal employee, has been placed on official administrative leave. They also announced, “Student safety is a top priority for the district and as such, we are fully cooperating with the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and will continue to do so throughout the course of its investigation.”

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Published on: September 26, 2017

Former High School Student Accuses Teacher of Sex Abuse

by Staycie R. Sena

52-year-old Mary Jahn, an English teacher at Lakewood High School since 2006, has been accused of engaging in a sexual relationship for three years with a former female student which began when the girl was 15 years old in 2008. According to the authorities, after the girl turned 18 in 2011 she and Jahn’s physical intimacy ended, but they stayed in touch on and off until early spring of this year when the student reported the alleged sexual abuse to the police.

Following the student’s report an investigation began, and Jahn was put on leave from her teaching position. She was arrested on September 13. The Long Beach Unified School District has offered their support to the authorities, and after Jahn’s arrest they released a public statement assuring that the “safety and well-being of our students is always our primary concern.”

Following a short court proceeding Jahn now faces criminal charges for 9 felonies comprised of four counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object, three counts of lewd acts upon a child, and two counts of oral copulation of a person under 18. If convicted on all charges Jahn could face eight years and four months in state prison, and she would have a mandatory legal obligation to register as a sex offender for the remainder of her life.

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