On Monday, December 8, protesters gathered outside a courthouse in Payne County, Oklahoma, voicing their anger and frustration over a controversial sentence handed down to 18-year-old Jesse Mack Butler.
Butler, a former high school baseball player from Stillwater, was convicted of sexually assaulting two teenage girls.
The sentence, which allowed Butler to avoid prison time, has sparked widespread outrage among the public and legal community, as reported by USA Today.
Who Is Jesse Mack Butler?
Jesse Mack Butler, now 18, was a former player for the Stillwater High School baseball team.
Earlier this year, he pleaded no contest to several serious charges, including sexual assault, strangulation, and domestic abuse, in connection with the sexual assault of two female teens.
The assaults occurred when Butler was 16 and 17 years old.
Stillwater, located in north-central Oklahoma, is about 60 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. Despite the severity of his crimes, Butler’s sentence has been controversial, as a judge allowed him to avoid prison time under certain conditions.
The Sentencing Controversy
In August 2023, Judge Susan Worthington granted Butler youthful offender status, allowing him to avoid serving time in prison.
Instead, Butler was placed on probation with a rehabilitation plan that includes therapy with a specialist in sex offender treatment.
Should he fail to comply with the terms of his sentence, Butler faces reclassification as an adult and could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.
Despite the serious nature of his crimes, Butler’s sentence has drawn significant criticism.
Protesters, including some who had gathered outside the courthouse on November 5, are demanding greater accountability.
Signs with messages like “Hold Jesse Responsible” and “Dirty Judge Define Justice!” were seen as demonstrators voiced their discontent.
The Legal Proceedings and Family Connections
Butler’s case has attracted additional scrutiny due to connections involving his family and the judge presiding over his sentencing, per Newsweek.
Butler’s father, who was once the director of operations for Oklahoma State University’s football team, has ties to the university.
Similarly, Judge Susan Worthington, who granted Butler the youthful offender status, has long-standing ties to Oklahoma State University, where she earned two bachelor’s degrees.
These connections have raised questions about the fairness of Butler’s sentencing and whether his family background may have influenced the outcome.
Victim Impact and Legal Representation
Attorney Rachel Bussett, who represents one of Butler’s victims, expressed frustration over the handling of the case.
According to Bussett, her client was not aware that Butler would avoid prison time as part of the plea deal, and they did not approve of how the case was resolved.
“The clients are not happy with the plea deal. It was not discussed with them. They did not approve of it and that it should not have been handled the way that it was handled,” Bussett said. “Justice would look like not being raped, but we can’t go back and do that.”
The Crimes and Investigation
The sexual assaults involving Butler came to light in September 2024 when two victims reported the crimes to authorities at Stillwater High School.
According to arrest affidavits, one of the victims told a school resource officer that she had been in a romantic relationship with Butler from late January to early March 2024.
During this time, she reported multiple instances of Butler forcing her into sex against her will, even after she protested. The affidavit states that the victim complied out of fear of what Butler would do if she did not.
The second victim reported a relationship with Butler that began in late March 2024 and lasted for several months.
She described ongoing physical and mental abuse and multiple instances of sexual assault.
The second victim claimed that Butler sexually assaulted her after recording a video of him strangling her to the point of unconsciousness. Investigators later found the video on Butler’s phone, which corroborated the victim’s account of the assault.
