Lawrence man sentenced for aggravated sexual battery of a teen

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4 years 4 months
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Lucas
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Seiden
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Media/Information Technology Specialist
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785-841-0211
Submitted by lseiden on

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that Isaiah J. Duckworth, 36, of Lawrence, was sentenced to 79 months in the Kansas Department of Corrections for the aggravated sexual battery of a teen.

Judge Sally D. Pokorny sentenced Duckworth to 47 months on the first count, and 32 months on the second count. Judge Pokorny ordered the sentences to run consecutively.

Duckworth was convicted of two counts of aggravated sexual battery on June 6, 2023, when he pleaded no contest at the beginning of his jury trial. 

Supporting Victims, Building Trust

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3 years 2 months
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Douglas
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County
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District Attorney's Office
Submitted by damedia on

The Victim-Witness program of the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office was designed to create a more trauma-informed, compassionate and inclusive response for victims and witnesses involved with the criminal justice system in Douglas County, Kansas.

This team works to ensure that victims and witnesses are not further victimized in the wake of a crime as cases move through the criminal justice system. Coordinators act as liaisons between law enforcement, prosecutors, community resources, families, criminal justice system representatives, employers and schools.

Judges serve as the voice of sentencing in the criminal justice system

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3 years 2 months
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Douglas
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County
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District Attorney's Office
Submitted by damedia on

Since taking office, I have sought to publicly announce policy decisions and the reasoning behind these decisions. My hope is to help the community better understand how our criminal justice system works and the role of the District Attorney. In discussions with various groups, I’ve found that a common misconception is that the District Attorney’s Office is responsible for imposing sentences.

The Reality of Prosecuting Sex Crimes

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3 years 2 months
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Douglas
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County
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District Attorney's Office
Submitted by damedia on

A victim of a crime should never be afraid to come forward. Reporting a crime is the most effective way to make our community safer by holding offenders accountable. Yet far too often, many default to a position of disbelief or distrust when survivors of sexual assault share their experiences.

When a sexual assault is in any way made public, especially because of the involvement of the criminal justice system, people typically wonder:

Juvenile Immediate Intervention Process (IIP) Information

Senate Bill 367 (SB 367), enacted in 2016, revised the Juvenile Justice Code. One of the goals of SB 367 is to keep low risk juvenile offenders out of the juvenile offender system. K.S.A. 38-2346 mandates that effective, July 1, 2017, the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office will no longer be able to offer its Juvenile Diversion program. K.S.A. 38-2346, however, establishes an Immediate Intervention Process (IIP) by which juveniles may avoid facing adjudication as a juvenile offender.

Linwood man receives concurrent sentences in Eudora attempted sexual assault

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4 years 4 months
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Cheryl
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Cadue
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PIO
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785-832-5109
Submitted by ccadue on

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez today announced that Warren F. Jones, 44, of Linwood, was sentenced to 31 months in prison for attempted aggravated sexual battery of an elderly Eudora woman with dementia.

District Court Judge Amy Hanley also sentenced Jones to 13 months in prison for a second attempted aggravated sexual battery count in the same case. Jones, who will serve both sentences concurrently in the Kansas Department of Corrections, is subject to 12 months post release and must register as a sex offender for 25 years.

District Attorney Suzanne Valdez’s Statement on Kansas Senate Bill 180

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Cheryl
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Cadue
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PIO
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785-832-5109
Submitted by ccadue on

Kansas Senate Bill 180 goes into effect on July 1, 2023. This statewide law bars transgender people from using restrooms, locker rooms and other public facilities that have been earmarked for cisgender use. Until this bill was passed, trans people were free to utilize these services according to their gender identity.

Lawrence man pleads to aggravated sexual battery of teen

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4 years 4 months
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Cheryl
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Cadue
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PIO
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785-832-5109
Submitted by ccadue on

Douglas County District Attorney Suzanne Valdez announced that Isaiah J. Duckworth, 35, of Lawrence, pleaded no contest to two counts of aggravated sexual battery prior to the start of his trial Tuesday. 

The convictions stem from incidents that occurred in October 2022 when Duckworth unlawfully touched a then 16-year-old Lawrence girl while Duckworth was staying in the same residence as the girl. 

“Survivors of sexual assault have a voice in Douglas County," District Attorney Valdez said.