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Felony Sex-Abuse Charges Dismissed
Pictured above: Michael Young and wife Jen, holding the letter informing them that all of Michael’s charges were formally dismissed. Photo by US~Observer
US~Observer Client Vindicated
By Joseph Snook
Investigative Reporter
US~Observer
Jackson County, OR – On January 17, 2014, Michael Young of Medford, Oregon breathed a grateful sigh of relief as he received word that multiple, stacked, felony sex abuse charges against him had been dismissed.
Young was charged with Rape 1, Sodomy 1, Sex Abuse 2, 3, and Assault 4 on March 21, 2013. Michael Young wasted no time – on March 29, 2013 he contacted the US~Observer and we began our investigation regarding the charges against him.
History
Michael Young married his wife Jennifer in the summer of 2011. At that time, he had no idea that her daughter had severe mental problems. Unbeknownst to Young, his new step-daughter had previously accused her biological father of sex abuse, resulting in his suicide. Evidence suggests that the sex-abuse at the hands of her biological father never occurred.
Soon after Michael and Jennifer were married, the couple moved to Medford, Oregon with his family, so they could care for his elderly parents. Young’s step-daughter’s mental illness immediately began to surface and quickly escalated into false accusations of sex-abuse; accusations that were easily dis-proven, as some things could not have even taken place.
The very sick step-daughter’s false accusations soon reached the ears of Medford Police Detective Diane Sandler and Department of Human Services caseworker Angie Albiar. Like two vicious pit-bulls, these so called “professionals” started their attack. As written in our previous article on Young, these two women “overlooked lie after lie coming from Michael’s stepdaughter, as they coached her, groomed her, and then tailored her castle of lies.” Albiar and Sandler failed to conduct any valid investigation whatsoever before sending their lies to the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office for formal charges.
Through the hard work of US~Observer investigative reporters, and his legal representation, Michael Young’s innocence was proven in the “Court of Public Opinion” and accepted by Jackson County District Attorney Beth Heckert and Terry Smith-Norton, the Assigned Deputy District Attorney. They showed their integrity by dismissing the case for lack of evidence. However, this was not a case of it being dismissed because it couldn’t be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This was a case where Mr. Young’s actual innocence could be established by the evidence and they knew they couldn’t win – especially against a strong defense.
Mr. Young’s support system, defense investigators and legal team were poised to establish that the allegations were false, should this case have gone to trial. Renowned sex-abuse Attorney Richard Cohen conducted flawless defense strategies for Young and communicated these with Ms. Smith-Norton in a highly professional and tactful manner.
To the credit of the Deputy District Attorney, she reportedly, painstakingly investigated the case. This was critical because DHS, and the other investigating agencies involved, failed to engage in an objective investigation. Ms. Smith- Norton interviewed numerous witnesses, including the child herself, and came to the correct conclusion that the State could not prove Mr. Young committed the charged acts. The US~Observer, along with Mr. Young, his family, supporters and his legal team were thrilled to learn that justice prevailed in this case and that Mr. Young was vindicated from these heinous allegations.
The real moral to this story is very simple; when police and DHS rush to judgment and falsely arrest an innocent person for crimes they did not commit, that person had better make sure he/she obtains the professionals that are capable of vindicating them. Above all, public exposure is imperative, especially when false sex-abuse allegations are made.
After learning his charges had been dismissed, Michael stated, “The US~Observer was there througout the 10 months it took to resolve this. Without the US~Observer’s help, the outcome would not have been what it is today. Jen and I are more appreciative than you could imagine.”
Again, the US~Observer commends Richard Cohen for his excellent legal representation of Michael Young. And again, this writer personally commends Jackson County District Attorney Beth Heckert and her Assistant Prosecutor Terry Smith-Norton for serving justice.
