The Utah Statesman, January 14, 2000

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Since

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!Utah State University, Logan Utah

, Nelson-Waggoner guilty, threecasesstillpending

Fnday,Jan. 14, 2000

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FARMINGTON. Utah (AP)- After a three-year prosecution that cost Cache County $152,000, a jury found Stacey Nelson-Waggoner guilty of sexually ■ assaulting a woman in his dorm room in 1996. It is the second time the former Utah State University student has been convicted for a string of rapes and attempted rapes. He faces three additional rape trials and one attempted rape trial. But the cost of prosecuting this case has left the status of the others uncertain. "We have to consider resources of the county," said Cache County Attorney Scott Wyatt. "We can only afford to do so much. In fact. the dri•1990 Bureau of Vital Statistics and National Study on Family Growth. ving factor behind most plea bargains is financial resources." The jury Tuesday found NelsonWaggoner guilty on one count of aggraLARA GAL[ restrictions on first-trimester abortions . Staff Writer vated sexual assault, Holt said she knew these options were a first-degree felony. available, but after considering her situation, 'We can The charge carries a Becca Holt is 19 years old. She is not marand the future of her baby, she decided to ried. She makes a four-digit income doing place her child with adoptive parents. only afford sentence of fiveyears-to-life in office work for a real estate agency. Almost Holt is one of a declining number of mothto do so prison. seven months ago. Holt learned she was going ers in her situation who choose adoption. to have a baby. According to information provided by the USU much. In wasNelson-Waggoner acquitted in a To many people, Holt's situation might turn Counseling Center, in the United States the February 1998 rape her into a statistic - another unwed mother fact, the rate of unwed mothers choosing to place their trial but convicted in adding to society's burden. But like many baby for adoption has declined from 42 perdriving a second trial in young women who fit into the figures, Hot] cent in 1947 to 3 percent in 1997,while aborApril that year. That feels there is more to her story than statistition rates have risen from 4 percent in factor behind conviction is under cians can crunch into numbers. What the 1947 to 42 percent in 1997. More most plea appeal before the numbers cannot show is the emotional strugunplanned pregnancies are being terUtah Supreme gle Holt has dealt with as a teenager trying to minated than ever before - but the bargainsis Court. live a normal life on a college campus with a demand for adoptable babies has "Our goal the baby in her womb. What the numbers cannot not declined, according to the financial whole time has been show i5 the countless times she has sat alone National •o nmittee for Adoption. resources.' to get one conviction in her room on Friday night wishing she could "There is no such thing as an that will stand," take back the mistake she made. What the ·unwanted baby,"' said Kendra numbers cannot show is that Holt is a real • S<::orrWrAlP Wyatt said. "We didYoung, peer counselor in charge of person who made a real mistake - and who C-\CHE COU"'1'1' n't feel comfortable the campus outreach program for about the first conhas become a real adult in the process of mak- unwed mothers . "There are many cou. ATTORNEY viction (which is ing decisions that a 19-year-old shouldn't have ples who have been waiting a long under appeal). We're to make. time to make their families complete expecting an appeal on this one. So we Mothers in Holt's situation have several and they can do it through adoption." will wait and see what issues are raised, options available to them. They can keep the Faced with the panic and fear of unexvisit with the victims and then decide baby and raise it as a single parent. They can pected motherhood, Holt said it was easy to what to do." marry the baby's father and hope to raise the consider other options available to unwed In the latest conviction, a jury delibchild in a stable family situation. mothers. In the short-term, some of them erated four hours before finding According to the National Committee for Nelson-Waggoner guilty of sexually Adoption. in the United States, there are no JumptoAooPTION.Page3 assaulting a 23-year-old woman in his dorm room in 1996. The victim. now 27, l.ll M'I.Jv&Ef I Utnh Stnlesmnn wept quietly as the verdict was announced. 65 percent Abuse ■ Options in Utah Education During the three-day trial. the proseWhatservicesareavailablein Cache Unwedmotherswhoplacetheirchildren Rateof womenover20 whogive birthout Childrenrearedb_yunwed mothersare cution presented evidence that the vicValleyfor expectingmothers?See Page3. for adoptiongenerallyobtaina higher of wedlock more often abused. and have serious tim met Nelson-Waggoner at a dance education,betteremploymentand areless behavioralproblems club in Salt Lake City on Friday, Nov. likelyto repeator abortanotherout-of ~ Dropping outMoney problems 15, 1996. The victim testified Nelson wedlockpregnancy. Infants reared b_y an inconsistent series of ' Teenage pregnancy is the greatest single Unwedmotherswho keeptheirchildren Waggoner invited her to lunch the folcaretakers also have a high incidence of ::) cause for dropping out of school among are more likely to have serious employlowing Sunday. The woman was new to problemslateron. *informationcourtesyof USUCounselingSennces females. ment andfinancialproblems. Logan and Nelson -Waggoner suggested he could introduce her to his friends, she said. In his Mountain View Tower dorm room . Nelson-Waggoner threw her on his bed, she said. lated individuals." "He pressed her down," Wyatt said, LEAHl. CULLER Assistant News Editor Since this ordi"Put his face in her face. He asked her . nance was issued, 'You came here for this didn't you?' She the zones in The more than 85 community mem LARA GAL[ Jumpto CoNYJOJON.Pa_g.e 3 Logan have been Staff Writer bers and Utah State University students renamed with in attendance at Thursday evening's publabels 9f descriplic hearing in Logan on the Land Students who abuse identification tion. The zones Development Code found that the meetcard privileges will be sent to the office affected by the ing was not at all what they-expected. of the campus judicial officer, where proposed change The hearing was designed only to disdisciplinary action will be arranged are now called cuss definitions, specificallythe definition depending on the extent of the abuse. Single Family Low of a family.and not occupancy issues as The card is very vulnerable to abuse, LOGAN, Utah (AP) - Two 15-yearmany assumed. The Planning and Zoning Density (SFL). said Dallin J. Phillips, campus judicial Single Family old students have been arrested and Commission committee didn't even vote officer, especially because some venTraditional (SIT) suspended from Logan High School for on the definition issues due to time condors who accept them don't check the and Single Family allegedly planning to steal materials to straints. At about 9:45 p.m.. the commitpicture before accepting a card. Many Residential (SFR). tee moved to continue the discussion of build a bomb which they intended to times the abuse is relatively minor The proposal definitions at a later date. set off in the school. the most common problem Phillips said by the committee Other students tipped police and Community Development Director he saw last semester was students lendis to change the Eric Toll clarified the purpose of ing their card to friends for printouts school officials off to the plot earlier ASUSU President Nate Anderson confronts the Logan City Planing definition of a Thursday night's hearing by saying that this month, said Logan Police Sgt. Russ in the computer lab This is probably Commission Thursday with student concerns on proposed changes to the family to the one housing zoning ordinance Thursday. Roper. the only issue up for discussion was the because computer labs are often more reexamination of the current definition of adopted by the diligent about checking the picture on When the teens were questioned, unit. shall be deemed to constitute a fam- the card than other places where the Supreme Court after a 1974 court decia family.The current definition. Toll said, they admitted that they planned to ily." sion. is complex and confusing. card is used, Phillips said. Because the break into a local business to steal After a suggestion from an individual The only difference in the proposed It reads: "Asa permitted use in Rl. R2. materials to create the bomb, Roper card can be used much like a credit in attendance at the public hearing, com- card, more serious fraud is possible. definition from the one upheld by the said. R2NR2B and R3/ R3A zones, 'family' mittee members agreed to change the Supreme Court is an allowance for chilmeans any number of individuals living 'They told us they were going to "It's usually just someone lending his definition by specifying that the definidren. The Supreme Court definition together related by blood, marriage or make some type of explosive device to card to a buddy: Phillips said. tion of family was only for zoning purposaddresses only families, without an incluadoption within two degrees of (blood create 'mass hysteria,'" Roper said. Even with a card owner's permission, es. sion of those families' children. relations). or up to and including three any use of a USU card by a person A warrant ed search of the teens· Toll said the largest number of comLogan City's proposed definition reads: unrelated individuals. An approved speother than the owner. or in a few limit rooms revealed evidence that they had plaints he has received about the pro"One or more persons related by blood, cial use permit may allow a family relaed cases the owner's spouse, is considtaken "definite steps" toward executing posed ordinance are about occupancy. adoption or marriage, living and cooking tionship to a maximum of three degrees their plan. Roper said. ered fraud. After Toll clarified the purpose for the of consanguinity for special circumstances. together as a single housekeeping unit, "You're just not supposed to lend Both teen s have been charged with hearing. many attendees left. exclusive of household servants. A numFor purposes of the R4 zone, 'family' conspiracy to commit burglary. a misyour card to anybody." he said. BillRyan brought forth a complaint he means any number of individuals living ber of unrelated adult persons. but not demeanor. This can make it difficult to decide had about eight people occupying a house who should receive disciplinary action exceeding two and their children related together related by blood within four One of the boys also has been by blood, adoption or marriage. living and degrees of consanguinity, by marriage or charged with conspiracy to commit Jump_to CW>.~P __.. ag,....e~3 ~ ----adoption. or up to and including six unre- cooking together as a single housekeeping Jumpto RfzONING.Page3 arson. a second-degree felony.

In the United States, unwed parents gave birth to 1,094,169 children in 1990. Approximately 4 percent (40,000) of these children were placed for adoption; 96 percent (1,054,000) were kept by the single parents. In the face of real life statistics, many unwed Utah mothers face the decision of a lifetime.

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------------------------------Definition of familystill up in the air after meeting Z

Misuse of USU ID cards results in disciplinaryaction

Two Logan High students suspended for bombing plans

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The Utah Statesman, January 14, 2000 by USU Libraries - Issuu