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Blogs:
First Bell - On Education:
No City of Akron basketball tonight
Pets:
Pet telethon re-airs
The Heldenfiles:
Chipmunks "Squeakquel" on DVD/BD March 30
Akron Zips:
Late surge gives Zips ugly road win
Tribe Matters:
Blogmail response on Hafner
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth's contract terminated
Balanced Ledger:
QB in Browns future: another mock draft
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – February 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
NBA Power Rankings from Around the Internet
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes grab 18 players on signing day
Varsity Letters:
Garfield at Buchtel basketball
All Da King's Men:
Palin At The Tea Party Convention
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Republican Pre-Conditions
Akron Law Café:
Citizens United v. F.E.C. (Part 4): Kennedy's and O'Connor's Basic Approaches to Constitutional Decisionmaking – Top Down and Bottom Up
Car Chase:
Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
Sound Check:
Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
HRLite House:
Track HR Research
Akron Gamer:
'Tecmo Bowl' recreation of Super Bowl XLIV
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
POSTED: 03:34 p.m. EDT, Aug 31, 2007
By Ed Meyer
Beacon Journal staff writer
A former Springfield High School special education teacher was sentenced this morning to two years in prison for having consensual sex with a 17-year-old male student at the school.
Renee Smith, 37, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of sexual battery, a third-degree felony, and two second-degree felony charges of corrupting another with drugs.
Summit County Common Pleas Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer gave Smith two years for each of the second-degree felonies and one year for the other sexual battery offense, ordering the sentences to run simultaneously.
The judge also found Smith to be a Tier Three sexual offender, which means she must register her address with the county sheriff for the rest of her life following her release from prison.
Smith, who had been with the school district for 14 years and had won awards for innovative programs with her special-needs students, told the judge she was ''truly sorry for all the hurt and pain'' she had caused.
Stormer allowed Smith to say good-bye to her parents, who were seated in the rear of the courtroom, before being led away to the county jail for the initial steps of her state prison sentence.
The victim, who was in Smith's special-needs class because of behavioral issues, according to Springfield Township detective Joe Holsapple, was not present in court for sentencing.
Defense lawyer Ed Bonetti had asked the judge to consider local incarceration for Smith, followed by intense supervision in a probation program.
Bonetti had argued that Smith was a first-time offender, has been undergoing counseling and treatment for her problems and had previously surrendered her teaching certificate.
Holsapple said outside of court that his investigation involved two students at the school, but Smith pleaded to involvement with one in the plea bargain with county prosecutors.
The detective said he was pleased with the sentencing decision.
By Ed Meyer
Beacon Journal staff writer
A former Springfield High School special education teacher was sentenced this morning to two years in prison for having consensual sex with a 17-year-old male student at the school.
Renee Smith, 37, earlier pleaded guilty to one count of sexual battery, a third-degree felony, and two second-degree felony charges of corrupting another with drugs.
Summit County Common Pleas Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer gave Smith two years for each of the second-degree felonies and one year for the other sexual battery offense, ordering the sentences to run simultaneously.
The judge also found Smith to be a Tier Three sexual offender, which means she must register her address with the county sheriff for the rest of her life following her release from prison.
Smith, who had been with the school district for 14 years and had won awards for innovative programs with her special-needs students, told the judge she was ''truly sorry for all the hurt and pain'' she had caused.
Stormer allowed Smith to say good-bye to her parents, who were seated in the rear of the courtroom, before being led away to the county jail for the initial steps of her state prison sentence.
The victim, who was in Smith's special-needs class because of behavioral issues, according to Springfield Township detective Joe Holsapple, was not present in court for sentencing.
Defense lawyer Ed Bonetti had asked the judge to consider local incarceration for Smith, followed by intense supervision in a probation program.
Bonetti had argued that Smith was a first-time offender, has been undergoing counseling and treatment for her problems and had previously surrendered her teaching certificate.
Holsapple said outside of court that his investigation involved two students at the school, but Smith pleaded to involvement with one in the plea bargain with county prosecutors.
The detective said he was pleased with the sentencing decision.
