Entry 19611127 — Backstory 12 — Fallout, Part I

_November 27, 1961, Milford, Ohio_

"What happened?" Allison said when she met Fran on the way to school on Monday morning.

"My little sister was caught messing around with Kenny Burnside. Dad flipped out completely and called the cops."

"Whoa! What did they do?"

"Arrested Kenny for, well, I don't know for sure, but probably 'statutory' because Liza is only fourteen."

"What happened to your sister?"

"Grounded until she's married, to hear my dad tell it. Mom will walk her to and from school as well. But the worst part is that I'm not allowed to go on dates."

"But you didn't do anything!" Allison protested. "Well, nothing your parents know about!"

"I think Mom knows," Fran replied. "But she didn't directly say it."

"Maybe the old lady did the same thing?" Allison suggested. "So what about Ben and Sam?"

"Ben is history," Fran replied. "I slapped him hard for being a cad. I can see Sam, but only 'keep company' with him at my house or his house, and only if both parents are home."

"What is this?" Allison asked. "_Father Knows Best_ or _Leave It to Beaver_? Parents are so square! What did your mom say?"

"I'm not allowed to hang out with Bev because she's a 'bad influence' and 'loose'. I told Mom it was none of her business what Bev does. Or what I do."

"Was that wise?" Allison asked.

"Was what wise?" Bev asked, coming up to them.

"Telling my mom that my virtue was none of her business."

"Wow!" Bev exclaimed. "You finally came around! I can introduce you to some guys who'll show you what it's all about!"

"No thanks," Fran said. "My parents said I'm not allowed to hang out with you, and I know my mom is going to speak to the other girls' moms today."

"But what do you think?"

"That it's up to me, not them. The problem is that I'm sixteen, so my dad still has control, and thinks he has to right to make all my decisions. I see Sam, and I need to talk to him before homeroom."

Fran walked quickly forward and caught up with Sam and his friend John. When they reached the school, Fran asked Sam if they could speak privately. He agreed, and they went to an alcove just inside the school building.

"Sorry about Saturday," Fran said. "My sister got in serious trouble and my parents flipped out. If you want to see me, you have to come to dinner at the house and we have to sit in the living room with my mom or dad. How about Sunday?"

"Sure. What time?"

"Let me ask my dad tonight."

"OK," Sam agreed.

Fran looked around and didn't see a teacher, so she gave Sam a quick kiss on the cheek, leaving him smiling as they went to their separate homerooms.

"You are to wait right here for me when school lets out," Esther Sorkin said to her daughter when they reached the main doors to Milford Main."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes and didn't care that her mom saw it.

"Do not give me that attitude, young lady!"

Elizabeth didn't respond, and simply walked into the school building. She was so angry she could spit, and had decided that if her dad was going to think she was a slut, then she was going to talk to Jim Henderson, the baddest of the bad boys in school and be one. It was only a question of how to be alone with him when she was grounded to her room and her mom was walking her to and from school. She walked to class, plotting, sure she could find a way.

Joshua Sorkin had called his boss at home and been given permission to take the day off so he could be at the Clermont County Courthouse when Kenny appeared before a judge. He left home in time to be waiting at the County Prosecutor's office when it opened and was there when the door was unlocked by a clerk.

"Good morning, Sir," the pretty female clerk said. "How may I help you?"

"Could you tell me which courtroom I need?"

"For what, Sir?"

"A boy was arrested for taking indecent liberties with my daughter."

"Was he over eighteen or under?"

"Under."

"Then he'll see the Juvenile Court judge, and that's in the Juvenile Court courtroom on the 2nd floor. There's a sign which will direct you there."

"How do I stop him from getting out on bail?"

"You'll need to speak to one of our prosecutors. If you give me the boy's name, I can check who the case is assigned to."

"Kenny Burnside."

She went back to her desk and picked up a stack of file folders and flipped through them, then consulted a laminated card on her desk.

"The case will be assigned to Karl Mueller. He likely hasn't had a chance to look over it as yet, as the arrest was made over the weekend. If you'll have a seat, I'll take him the file and ask if he'll see you."

Joshua sat down and the clerk disappeared through a door marked 'Private'. She was back about two minutes later.

"He'd like fifteen minutes to review the file and speak to the detective, then he'll see you.

"Thank you."

Josh read the newspaper he'd brought with him while he waited, and about twenty minutes later, the clerk invited him through the door and walked him to a small office.

"Mr. Mueller, this is the alleged victim's father, Mr. Sorkin," the clerk said.

"Thanks, Amelia. Come in, Mr. Sorkin."

The clerk left and Joshua went into the small office and shook hands with the man whose desk placard said was an Assistant Prosecutor.

"May I offer you coffee?" Mr. Mueller asked.

"Thank you, but I'm fine."

"I understand you want to intervene in the bail hearing. Allow me to explain the situation. Because the young man is under eighteen, he's a juvenile, and won't be kept in the county jail unless the judge decides he should be charged as an adult. In cases such as this, as upsetting as they are, that almost never happens when there is no assertion of force or violence."

"Even with my daughter only being fourteen?"

"Yes, because he's seventeen, and from the reports, she was a willing participant, even if the young man enticed her. What that means is the judge has two options — custody at a juvenile facility or bail. Normally, for a seventeen-year-old on their first offense, and with a girl who is no more than three years younger, bail would be granted unless there are extenuating circumstances, or you could prove the young man was a danger to your daughter."

"Performing perverted acts isn't dangerous enough?" Joshua asked.

"I'm a father and I have a thirteen-year-old daughter, and I agree with you, but it's not up to us. Has the young man threatened your daughter with physical harm in any way?"

"You mean besides taking indecent liberties with her?" Joshua asked, annoyed.

"As much as I sympathize, there is a legal standard that makes a differentiation between rape and statutory rape. There is no evidence of force. May I suggest you not oppose bail now, and wait for a female attorney to interview your daughter? If she finds that there was force, then bail could be revoked."

"How much would the bail be?"

"I'm going to ask for $5000, given there are three felonies alleged, along with a misdemeanor. A bail bondsman will provide that in exchange for a $500 fee if the young man's family does not have $5000, which I'll point out is a significant sum."

It was, Joshua had to admit, given the average family would only make about $6000 a year, according to government statistics. He'd prefer the boy be locked up, but that didn't seem possible.

"What are the full charges?" Joshua asked.

"Oral sodomy on a minor, statutory rape, and indecent liberties with a girl under fifteen, all felonies, and corruption of a minor, a misdemeanor."

"How long would the sentences be?"

"That all depends on how the judge decides to treat this. If it's handled as juvenile, he'd be released from custody when he was eighteen. If it's handled as an adult, he could get as much as twenty to thirty years, but five to ten is more likely."

"When will that be decided? I mean adult versus juvenile?"

"When the grand jury returns an indictment. The police had probable cause to make the arrest based on your statements and the statements by others."

"Can I at least keep him away from my daughter if he's let out on bail?"

"I'll petition the judge for an order for this boy to stay away from her, and I'm certain it will be granted. If he were to violate that order, then he would have to appear before the judge and might be sent to juvenile detention. The hearing won't be until after lunch, as I need time to prepare. May I suggest you go to work and leave this in my hands? If you leave a number, I'll call you with an update."

Joshua considered and decided that was the best course of action. He wrote down his name and phone number on a pad offered by the Assistant Prosecutor, then stood.

"When will the female attorney interview my daughter?"

"Sometime this week. We don't have any who work for the county, but we contract with two independent female lawyers to assist with cases such as this one. A matron from the female side of the jail will be at the interview as well. Shall I have the attorney call you at this number or at home?"

"Either is OK," Joshua said. "I'm usually home just before 6:00pm, but my wife is home all day if she's not shopping or at her bridge club, which is on Tuesdays. Well, sometimes she visits friends, too."

Assistant Prosecutor Mueller called for the clerk, Amelia, to return, and she escorted Joshua out of the office. Headed to work, happy that he would only miss two hours of work, but unhappy that Kenny Burnside would be released.

While Joshua was driving back to work, Esther was pouring coffee for her daughters' closest friends' mothers.

"That Bev Thompson is trouble," Peggy Turner, Allison's mom, said. "And where were you, Linda?"

Linda Owens, Julie's mom, frowned, "In the kitchen with Nora Samuelson. I thought the girls were in the basement. I'm sorry."

"What are we going to do about the girls?" Anne Peters, Jennie's mom, asked.

"Keep them away from Bev Thompson!" Sally Wilson, Elaine's mom, said.

"It's not just her," Barbara Morton, Nancy's mom said. "There are too many boys who don't go to church, ride motorcycles, wear leather jackets, and drink beer and whisky!"

"My husband doesn't go to church, rides a motorcycle, wears a leather jacket, and drinks beer and whisky," Peggy Turner said. "Does that make him a troublemaker or miscreant? The same is true for Walter Block, Bobby's dad."

"We keep our husbands in line!" Barbara countered. "Nobody keeps those boys in line! And nobody keeps that Beverly Thompson in line! Rumor has it she's slept with half the teachers at the school!"

"Really?" Peggy asked with a sly smile. "Men only make up about a quarter of the teachers!"

"You know what I meant!" Barbara countered.

"Let's not base our reaction on rumors," Esther counseled. "But we do need to protect our daughters from lecherous boys!"

"And keep them away from loose girls!" Nancy added. "If anyone is in need of going to church, it's Bev Thompson and her parents who allow her to behave that way!"

"What makes you think they can control her?" Peggy asked. "None of us think that about Esther and Joshua, despite what happened with Elizabeth."

"So we just give up?" Barbara asked. "Never!"

"That's not what I said at all," Peggy countered. "What I'm saying is that you can't automatically blame her parents unless you're going to blame Joshua and Esther. Are you?"

"Er, no," Barbara admitted.

"I've made it clear that Fran is not to spend time with Bev Thomson," Esther said.

"What are you doing about the other problem?"

"For now, I'm going to walk Elizabeth to and from school, and not let her out of my sight unless she's in her room. And she is certainly never to go near Kenny Burnside ever again."

"None of our daughters should," Sally said. "Is he going to get out on bail?"

"Joshua went to the county courthouse today to try to stop that. I won't know what happened until he comes home."

The phone rang just then, and Esther excused herself to answer it. It was Joshua calling to let her know he'd gone to work, and what had happened that morning. He promised they would speak more when he arrived home, and once they ended the call, Esther rejoined her friends.

"The Prosecutor is going to ask for $5000 bail," Esther announced.

"WOW!" Sally gasped. "That's about what my husband makes in a year!"

"Mine, too," Barbara added.

"Joshua said that a bail bondsman would put up the money if the Burnsides could pay a $500 fee. I'd guess they could do that much, because Mr. Burnside is a manager at CG&E."

"Someone needs to speak to the Burnsides so they know their son is not permitted to even speak to our daughters!" Barbara declared.

"You do realize that the way to encourage a teenage boy to do something is to forbid him from doing it, right?" Peggy asked.

"My Tom will cut Kenny's manhood off if he even speaks to Elaine," Sally declared.

"What do you think we should do, Peggy?" Barbara asked.

"Educate our daughters and encourage them to behave like the young ladies they are," Peggy said. "I daresay if I forbid Allison from seeing Bobby, she'd sneak out at night to see him and you know where that would lead! I'd rather I knew what she was doing and who she was with, than have her sneak around."

"So many children have no manners and no respect for parents," Nancy said.

"First of all," Peggy said, "teenagers aren't exactly children. Second, how is that any different from any other children in history? I bet all of us rebelled against our parents in one way or another, or did something they would frown on."

"I never did!" Barbara protested. "And Nancy never would!"

Peggy decided to hold her tongue because she knew that even the most religious of girls, which had included her when she was growing up, rebelled and sometimes even strayed. The ladies finished their coffee then dispersed to their own homes to do their housework.

Back at the school, during lunch, Elizabeth saw her target — Jim Henderson. He was wearing a black leather jacket, a white t-shirt, and had his hair slicked back. He rode his motorcycle to school every day and was the guy all the 'good' girls stayed away from. Elizabeth wondered what it would feel like riding pillion on his motorcycle, her arms wrapped tightly around Jim and her hair flowing int he wind. But that would have to be later, because there was no way the old lady was going to let up. Elizabeth went over and was happy to see a seat was open next to Jim.

"Hi!" she exclaimed, setting her lunch tray on the table next to his and sitting down.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Elizabeth Sorkin!"

"What grade?"

"Freshman," she replied.

"Get lost, kid," he said. "This table is for grownups!"

She smiled at him, licked her lips suggestively, and declared, "I'm not a kid!"

His friends, both boys and girls, laughed at her, which only made her more determined.

"Get lost!" Andrea, a Senior girl, said. "Jim likes women!"

"I am a woman!" Elizabeth declared.

They all laughed again, and Elizabeth became angry. She'd show them!

"Blow!" Julie, another Senior said.

Elizabeth realized she'd made a mistake, so she took her tray, got up, and went to where her friend Elaine was sitting with Jennie Peters.

"What was that about?" Elaine asked.

"Never mind," Elizabeth said snippily.

Fortunately, the girls dropped it, and they ate their lunches. When they finished, Elizabeth excused herself to use the ladies', and wrote a note to Jim that she was sure would get his attention. When she went out to the schoolyard, she walked by where Jim was smoking with his friends, handed him the note, then went to the place she and her friends congregated. She groaned when she saw Fran walking towards her.

"What were you doing with Jim Henderson?" Fran asked.

"Never mind!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Just leave!"

"You know I have to tell Mom," Fran said. "Otherwise I'd be in Dutch with the old lady if you did something."

"You bitch!" Elizabeth growled. "Don't you dare!"

"I have to, Liza," Fran said.

"Then I'll tell Mom you ate lunch with Bev and that she's with you and your friends! Dad can't do anything more to me, but you'll be in the same boat if you blab!"

Fran knew she was trapped, and wasn't sure what to do, so she walked back to where Allison, Jennie, Nancy, and Bev were standing.

"What is Elizabeth up to?" Allison asked.

"No good, I'm sure," Fran replied. "But she threatened to tell Mom that we let Bev hang out with us."

"I think all our moms will say that we shouldn't hang out with Bev tonight," Allison said. "They were having coffee this morning to discuss what happened over the weekend."

"And do your moms know that their darling daughters are no longer virtuous?" Bev asked.

"Bev, you can't say anything!" Fran protested.

"Yeah, Bev, please don't!" Allison begged.

"One more reason to honor your body and not surrender to boys' urges!" Nancy declared. "Not to mention fornication is a sin!"

"Once you know how good it feels, you won't think it's a sin!" Bev declared. "It'll be more like a sacrament!"

"I would never!" Nancy exclaimed. "I'm waiting for my wedding night!"

"I wonder if Alan will have any clue what to do! The religious nuts think using your mouth is sinful!"

"Don't be gross, Bev," Nancy protested. "Fran, I'm going inside."

She walked away, clearly unhappy.

"Did you have to do that, Bev?" Allison asked.

"She's the outlier!" Bev declared. "The rest of us have all done it!"

"Not me," Jennie said. "But I will when I'm old enough! Kent is totally cute!"

"I'm just afraid of what Nancy will say to her mom, and what her mom will say to our moms," Fran said. "And if my sister tattles, it'll be really bad."

"So don't say anything about her talking to Jim Henderson! If she wants to fuck, she's going to fuck!"

"That word!" Jennie giggled.

Fran shook her head and was about to say something when the warning bell rang and they all headed to class.