Haidl Case

The case that I would like to focus on is that of Greg Haidl, who was released from prison in 2008 after serving a 6 year sentence. Although many people would blame Greg’s father, Don Haidl, it is important to note that during the case Greg was tried as an adult. He was technically a minor at the time, but in the eyes of society he was old enough to know the difference between right and wrong. I do believe that a certain amount of blame falls on Don Haidl since he was in the house at the time of the attack and allowed Greg and his friends to drink. However, there is enough blame to be passed around. Greg Haidl was obviously in the wrong for not only committing the sexual crime, but having the audacity (and stupidity) to record the assault on camera. The victim also incurred a share of the blame in the media coverage due to her sexual promiscuity, but no matter how promiscuous the victim was, it does not justify the nature of the sexual assault. It is also worth mentioning that Don Haidl (the Assistant-Sheriff at the time) was arrested for federal tax charges, and has since admitted that he gave cash and gifts to Michael Carona (the Sheriff) in exchange for the role of Assistant-Sheriff. Don Haidl claimed that he did this in hopes of getting a lighter sentence for his son. This shows that perhaps Greg’s criminal behavior can be attributed to a morally corrupt upbringing.
After being released from jail, Haidl and the other perpetrators attempted to appeal their convictions on the ground that the girl was actually a willing participant in the sexual acts. They are also appealing that if the court does not overturn the conviction, that at least the court should lift the ban that they register as sexual offenders for the rest of their lives. I have a split opinion on this issue because I believe that requiring people to register as sex offenders puts a stigma on them for the rest of their lives. There are people that reform as a result of spending time in prison, and I believe that registering as sex offenders does not allow these people to move on with their lives.