Judge Wells adjudicated Cozzie guilty

[jodiFL]

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/article/14455

Former South Walton Coach Mark Cozzie was sentenced to three years probation for inappropriate conduct with six South Walton High School students.

Cozzie will not teach in the Walton County School system while on probation.

Judge Kelvin Wells adjudicated Cozzie guilty on two counts of battery and withheld adjudication on the other four counts.

Cozzie was arrested on May 2, 2007 after a number of students accused him of touching them inappropriately.

He was acquitted by a jury for a charge of lewd or lascivious battery in March 2008. This plea resolves all pending matters.

Guess they opted out of a jury on this one......

 

[Here4Good]

Every time this topic comes up in the NWF, I am amazed at the comments posted that call the girls liars. It's just disgusting.

I hope we never see his face in Walton County Schools again, and that the State of Florida has the sense to pull his certificate.

 

[fishhawk]

here4kayak

i don't think it's so much that they are being called liars. i think it was the mob mentality that has surrounded this mess. having been in attendance at part of the first trial, it seems a lot of the evidence and testimony was ignored or mischaracterized by our local media. the fact is, all the girls cases were heard in the first trial and the jury didn't convict on the most serious charge, even with the option of a lesser offense conviction. this was a sad and unnecesssary chapter in everyone's life who was involved, instigated by individuals with an axe to grind. our society likes to believe the worst in everyone because it makes them feel better about themselves and provides the drama and gossip necessary to lessen the boredom in their own insignificant lives.

 

[scooterbug44]

Too bad they didn't convict him, but at least he's got something on his record now so they will have to take the complaints more seriously the NEXT time!

And I don't say that because of a "mob mentality," I say that because it is typical for sex offenders to know how to work the system w/ borderline behavior that can seem very circumstantial.

 

[Zebraspots]

The media needs to be reined in or held responsible for damages as they frequently convict someone and ruin their life in their quest for ratings and filling of air time.

I still find it appalling when they put the victim on trial - even more so when the victim(s) are young.

 

[Dominoes]

innocent until proven guilty

I guess this doesn't hold true when you are a white male accused of sex charges. Just ask the Duke LaCrosse players. The reverse discrimination disguised as political correctness is appalling.

 

[jodiFL]

@Dominoes...
I guess in this case it would be innocent until "adjudicated guilty".

 

[sowalguest]

Victims--no matter the age--must be held accountable for their accusations. If it was true, those girls will still heal and be fine. I'm a victim of significantly more criminal actions from a high school coach and life moved on. If the accusations against Mark Cozzie were false, he will never get his life back--certainly not the life that included coaching. Those girls appear to have been far more victimized by the crappy investigation that led them to believe the actions were substantial enough to warrant the actions over the last year.

 

[jodiFL]

Victims--no matter the age--must be held accountable for their accusations. If it was true, those girls will still heal and be fine. I'm a victim of significantly more criminal actions from a high school coach and life moved on. If the accusations against Mark Cozzie were false, he will never get his life back--certainly not the life that included coaching. Those girls appear to have been far more victimized by the crappy investigation that led them to believe the actions were substantial enough to warrant the actions over the last year.

I am glad you moved on and are fine but as you know not all victims heal in the same way nor do all people cope with things in the same manner. But welcome to the SOWAL community and you can find more reading about this subject on this thread..
SoWal High School Coach Arrested for Sex Abuse - SoWal Beaches Forum

 

[Why Lie about the TRuth]

http://www.myfloridateacher.com/discipline/icmsorders/067-3877-FO-112509121228.pdfhttp:

Victims--no matter the age--must be held accountable for their accusations. If it was true, those girls will still heal and be fine. I'm a victim of significantly more criminal actions from a high school coach and life moved on. If the accusations against Mark Cozzie were false, he will never get his life back--certainly not the life that included coaching. Those girls appear to have been far more victimized by the crappy investigation that led them to believe the actions were substantial enough to warrant the actions over the last year.