An Ohio mother of 2 sentenced to 10 days & 3 yrs probation after sending her kids to a better school

[ElsewheresDaughter]

"An Ohio mother of two was sentenced to 10 days in jail and placed on three years probation after sending her kids to a school district in which they did not live. Kelley Williams-Bolar was sentenced by Judge Patricia Cosgrove on Tuesday and will begin serving her sentence immediately. The jury deliberated for seven hours and the courtroom was packed as the sentence was handed down. She was convicted on two counts of tampering with court records after registering her two girls as living with Williams Bolar's father when they actually lived with her. The family lived in the housing projects in Akron, Ohio, and the father’s address was in nearby Copley Township. Additionally, Williams-Bolar’s father, Edward L. Williams, was charged with a fourth-degree felony of grand theft, in which he and his daughter are charged with defrauding the school system for two years of educational services for their girls. The court determined that sending their children to the wrong school was worth $30,500 in tuition. - Dr. Boyce Watkins

As punishment for doing everything in her power to keep her children safe, Ms. Williams-Bolar, a single mother with no previous criminal record, has been made a felon by Ohio judge Patricia Cosgrove. In addition to jail time, a large fine and probation, Ms. Williams-Bolar's felony conviction has also robbed her of her future.

"'Because of the felony conviction, you will not be allowed to get your teaching degree under Ohio law as it stands today. The court's taking into consideration that is also a punishment that you will have to serve.'' - Judge Patricia Cosgrove

Although Ms. Williams-Bolar had nearly completed her education to become a teacher, under Ohio law felons are not permitted to teach

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This is so very sad and so very wrong on so many levels....please sign the petition http://criminaljustice.change.org/petitions/view/gov_kasich_pardon_ms_kelley_williams-bolars_unfair_sentencing_for_fraud_and_theft

[slackmaster]

1. K&R for most accurate, objective subject line in any of the several threads about this story

:kick:

[midnight]

2. K&R I was hoping this was an update and sanity stepped in....

[RKP5637]

3. Try to get ahead and you are slapped down, but if one has zillions heinous

crimes are overlooked, like the crooks on wall street and banksters.

[Warpy]

4. This is just so wrong

and has to be because of some eager beaver DA out to make a name for him/herself by making an example out of a woman who is trying to do everything right for herself and her children.

Unfortunately, Kasich is a Republican, so I sincerely doubt this petition will do more than harden his lawn order position so he can grandstand for the local teabaggers.

[ChazII]

6. Agree with you 100%.

[pnwmom]

5. What a sad story. n/t

[DeSwiss]

7. Fucking judge.

Judge Cosgrove has received special recognition for the Akron Bar Association for her work in mentoring students, and participates in the Minority Clerkship Program established by The University of Akron School of Law and the Akron Bar Association. She is proud to be one of the three Summit County Common Pleas Court Judges to participate in the ReEntry Court Program for convicted felons. This program is dedicated to helping individuals returning from prison make a successful transition back into society by addressing issues of employment, housing, and substance abuse.

http://www.summitcpcourt.net/Judges/Patricia_Cosgrove/default.aspx

K&R

[Exultant Democracy]

8. Fucking racists is what I think. This woman wouldn't be going to jail if she was a pretty blond

with pretty blond kids that she was try to keep away from the black people in the projects. Shoot is isn't like her father doesn't pay taxes there.

[emilyg]

11. A white woman in Snellville, ga. tried

the same thinbg - she wasn't sent to jail but was heavily fined.

[Exultant Democracy]

20. seem like that proves the point doesn't it.

[emilyg]

21. I don't think so.

[Exultant Democracy]

23. The black woman went to jail the white woman didn't that was my point, so yes it proves it.

[emilyg]

25. That depended on the judge. Both women got punished.

[Exultant Democracy]

26. and the white woman didn't have to go to jail. Same crime one did time surprise it was the black one

All you did was prove my point and then disagree with what you posted.

Even when we set aside the anecdotal evidence (like the case mentioned in the op and the evidence you presented to prove my point in your post)
It's pretty clear from a statistical stand point that our judicial system has proven to be tilted against minorities.

[emilyg]

27. I'm tired. Good night.

[DeSwiss]

14. I think....

http://blacknews.com/news/black_mother_jailed_sending_kids_white_school101.shtml">you're right.

[Bluerthanblue]

13. actually the Judge seems to be supportive of the Mom-

she says that even though the conviction is a felony, the law leaves room for her to still be a teacher because:

Cosgrove said her reading of the statute leaves open the possibility Williams-Bolar can be a teacher ''because she was not convicted of an offense of violence offenses of moral turpitude.''

Because Williams-Bolar had no previous felony record, Cosgrove said she will write a letter to the state Board of Education asking that Williams-Bolar's license not be revoked.

''I will do everything I can, as far as sending a letter, asking them not to consider it,'' the judge said.

Cosgrove also indicated she would consider expunging the felony conviction if Williams-Bolar successfully completes a minimum of six months of probation.

''I suspect she will,'' the judge said.

more here- (it's a good article)

http://www.ohio.com/news/top_stories/114346689.html

[emilyg]

22. Good. Seems fair.

[Exultant Democracy]

24. 10 days in jail FAIR!?!?!? Attitudes like that are what made USA the #1 jailer that we are.

[d_r]

9. what I asked on the other thread...

so, OK, the Mom's in jail. So if the kids go to live with their grandfather while the mom is in jail, does that mean that they are living in district for this school?

[Bluerthanblue]

15. actually the Mom took them out of Copley-Fairlawn back in the fall of 08

and it was 15 months after that that the prosecutor indicted her and her father.

pretty spiteful imo.

[d_r]

28. wow.

Insane. My wife said that the school board had a private detective following the mom home to see if the kids were living at her out of district home or at the Grandfather's in-district home.

I can't figure out 1. why the school board picked this lady out to follow (well I guess I have some ideas about that) and 2. why the school board is paying a PI to follow parents home. Really? That's the business they are in?

And here's the thing. The court ruled that the mom owed the school money for the cost of tuition. But her children are guaranteed equal access to education. So if the school she send the kids to cost 30K more than the school they were zoned for, then that right there seems to me that the court just ruled that the schools don't meat the criteria of equal access to education. You know, Brown v Board of Ed. Topeka Kansas. But I'm not a lawyer or anything, but that seems common sense.

[slingsam]

10. please tell me that

this can be appealed.......or some such other legal mambo-jumbo

[Bluerthanblue]

17. NPR said that it IS in the process of being appealed, the judge

also said that if Mom successfully completes 6mos. probation she'd consider expunging the conviction.

[Canuckistanian]

12. This is a shocking indictment of the education system

The fact that schools are SO INEQUAL, that people are willing to break laws in order to get a decent education for their kids.

Has there been any media discussion of THAT point?

Didn't think so.

[inna]

16. thank you for making a critically important - yet routinely overlooked - point. nt

[Canuckistanian]

19. What, about the inequality or the media attention?

In my mind, they're BOTH important.

[Mojeoux]

18. K & R

[ck4829]

29. K&R