A jury says a former Klamath County Schools teacher is ‘not guilty’ of sex charges…
Klamath County Circuit Court Judge Dan Bunch read the verdict late Tuesday afternoon…
“As to sexual abuse in the first degree, that being count one, not guilty – sexual abuse in the first degree, that being count two, not guilty.”
Rick Hollenbeak’s defense attorney Peter Richard notes that the trial was long, and complex…
“I don’t think there was any one single thing that you can point to, and say that, ‘Oh, that was a Perry Mason moment’ – there were no Perry Mason moments.”
Prosecutor Sharon Forster was unable to convince the jury that Hollenbeak had molested a 14 year old female relative…
“I’m extremely disappointed. These are tough cases. You’ve got a troubled teen, which from my perspective, makes her the perfect victim.”
And while he’s been found ‘not guilty’, Hollenbeak lost his teaching job upon his arrest a year ago…and his reputation has already been damaged.
Peter Richard noted, “There’s no way of compensating him for that.”
The 12 members of the jury were unanimous in their ‘not guilty’ verdict.
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