Jungquist enters “not guilty” plea Monday
Former Chadron State student Timothy C. Jungquist, 19, of Pegram, Tennessee, pleaded “not guilty” on two counts; First Degree Sexual Assault, a class II felony, and False Imprisonment, a class 3A felony, a representative from the District Court said.
Jungquist’s lawyer entered this plea to the Dawes County District Court Monday through an e-file system through which documents can be filed to the District Court. Through this system, Jungquist also waived an arraignment and his right to a speedy trial.
Jungquist was released from Dawes County Jail Oct. 15 after posting 10 percent of $50,000 bond, following a bond hearing that same day. His original bond was set at 10 percent of $150,000.
Jungquist was arrested by Chadron Police Oct. 8 in connection with an alleged first-degree sexual assault in Andrews Hall that reportedly occurred Oct. 5, Chadron Police Department and Dawes County Sheriff’s officials said.
He was arrested after the alleged victim, a female, reported the assault Oct. 7, police stated in a press release. The Eagle does not publish the names of victims or alleged victims of sexual assault.
I think that this assault is completely horrible, however, I think it’s kind of a double standard to not publish the name of the victim, but to go on to crucify someone who has been accused. It feels more like he is “guilty until proven innocent.”
There are places in this world where people disappear once they are arrested, and no one will know about it because arrests in those countries are not reported publicly.
Ironically, the reason we report on these cases is actually to ensure that the accused is given equal protection under law.
We update these stories when new information is presented to ensure that the arrested are given fair treatment by the criminal justice system.
When The Eagle and other news outlets reported that Mr. Jungquist had been arrested, the police were forced to be both transparent and accountable for his well-being while he is still under investigation.
He remains innocent until proven guilty, thus any publicity is intended to protect his human rights until after a verdict is reached.
“Although rape and sexual assault occur at an alarming rate in our society, the vast majority of these crimes remain unreported. Victims remain silent because they fear being subjected to the intense public scrutiny and blame that often follow being named in the media. Our culture continues to condemn the victim for rape and, as a result, an extraordinary amount of shame and silence follow the crime. Publicizing the name of a rape complainant under these conditions only deters more victims from coming forward.” —endsexualviolence.org
What value is there to reporting a victim’s name in this case? Only to allow people to make their own judgments against her, which is exactly what you’re (erroneously) claiming is happening to Mr. Jungquist.
All this story tells us is that he was accused in an official report to the police and was arrested as a result. He has been out on bail for a while and has entered a “not guilty” plea. Where’s this crucifixion? Charged with a crime doesn’t mean guilty until a trial is had. It’s just a fact.
Stories like this are helpful to those accused of crimes because they ensure the public knows due process is happening (or especially if it’s not happening). They also put the word out there and witnesses may possibly come forward.