SPRINGBORO — Thousands of people want change after a Warren County judge sentenced a former Springboro gym teacher to eight years in prison in a sex case involving children.
In March, a Common Pleas jury convicted Austin Hopkins of sexually abusing first-grade girls in class while working at Clearcreek Elementary School.
There are now four change.org petitions connected to Hopkins’ case.
“When people get angry about public officials what they need to do is figure out the best way of addressing the issue in terms of effectiveness,” Tom Hagel, professor of law emeritus at the University of Dayton, said Monday.
One petition calls on state Rep. Scott Lipps to change state laws so people convicted of gross sexual imposition involving multiple minors cannot serve concurrent sentences, which is what Warren County Judge Robert Peeler is allowing Hopkins to do.
Hagel said while these sorts of petitions do not carry any legal power, they can still impact change.
“It gets the particular legislator’s attention,” Hagel said.
Hagel said a petition could motivate a legislator to introduce a bill. Then it would need to be passed by the legislature and signed by the governor.
Two other petitions are pushing for a harsher sentence. However, Hagel said once a judge hands down a sentence, as long as it complies with the law, it cannot be changed just because of public opinion.
Hagel said a fourth petition, one to get Peeler removed from the bench, could have some influence when he is up for re-election in November.
“We don’t get rid of judges based on one of their sentences that members of the community don’t like. If they want to get rid of that judge, then they can get rid of them at the ballot box,” Hagel said.
This News Center 7 reporter reached out to Peeler on Friday about the sentence. He has not responded to the request for comment.
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