By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The Winlock man convicted last year following his identification through DNA as the prime suspect in a previously unsolved sexual assault in a campground restroom of little girl is asking a judge if he may withdraw his guilty plea.
Reginald L. Juntunen, now 25, was sent to prison a year ago for 25 years to life after making a deal with prosecutors his new attorney says was not fair.
Reginald L. Juntunen
Seattle-based defense lawyer Mitch Harrison said the request comes about based mostly on the inclusion of the so-called aggravating factor, that the offense was predatory.
“The aggravator is really meant for the worst of the worst, and Reggie, he’s not that,” Harrison said this afternoon.
Harrison was in Lewis County Superior Court today to set a date for the hearing. It is scheduled for Jan. 31 in front of Judge Richard Brosey.
Juntunen was enrolled in Lewis County Drug Court when he was charged last summer. He pleaded guilty to first-degree child molestation in connection with a 2007 attack on an 8-year-old girl at a Mossyrock area campground.
Harrison said his client’s previous attorney ought to have provided mitigating evidence to try to get a deal with much less time. In his motion, he states Juntunen shows absolutely no indicators of being a sexual deviant outside the one incident.
Juntunen’s goal is not to escape punishment, but to obtain a more reasonable sentence, he said.
Harrison said he understood the deputy prosecutor believed including the aggravating factor – which mandated the lengthy sentence – was mandatory, but it’s not.
“The Supreme Court about a month before he was charged said it was discretionary,” Harrison said.
Without it, the sentence for that offense would be something more like 10 years, or even a special sentencing alternative, he said.
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For background, read “Winlock High School grad gets 25 plus years for molestation” from Wednesday December 12, 2012, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Yes, this is a crime and should be dealt with accordingly. But there are some accused that are innocent. Some who are blamed because it was something that happened in their own family and maybe that person needs help and maybe they were not the ones abused. EXAMPLE: Family of 6, 3 girls and 3 boys, the girls were all sexually molested while the boys were all beaten. He gets caught and the kids were divided up and two of the boys went to live at boys homes and a slew of foster homes which were not much better than a prison for kids and the girls with other relatives and he goes to prison, where he serves two 20 year consecutive sentences. He dies in prison while in protective custody. The boys had not been molested but later on in life one of the boys now a man was accused of this crime and because his father was guilty he was found guilty and he never touched his kids but hug and love them. He never did to them what was done to him, he never even spanked them. He had never been abused in a sexual manner but did break the cycle of abuse that was done to him. His life was judged by people who didn’t know him or what he had been through so by default he was judged by his fathers actions and convicted of them when he was innocent of all. In fact there are many people in prison doing time for these types of crimes that are innocent and put there by vindictive women or men. Don’t get me wrong, I believe there are molesters out there, I am a victim and the man who abused me, accused me of starting it and I was 5 years old. The only reason I know this is because I went and read the trial transcripts and saw it there in black and white.
When ever a defendant pleads guilty the judge informs them that they are giving up their right to appeal the sentence as part of the plea deal. The other side of it is if a defendant asks for a new trial or sentence the prosecutors can retry the case and impart an even lengthier sentence recommendation.
This person was using a deadly weapon ( a knife ) when they committed a violent sodomy on an eight year old third grader.
Not to mention the burglary and dealing in stolen property crimes they were also charged with at that same time.
HELLO A HOLE, His girlfriend didn’t have her kid. Her family is raising HIM. HMMMM. Maybe that’s why he didn’t rape HIM or could it be he’s a BOY!!!!! DNA don’t lie and I don’t believe it came out of the restroom, I believe it came off his victim!!! SHMUCK!!!!!!!!!!
“I don’t beleive in child rape and stuff…..he was good hearted.”
Asshole we totally understand why he is your buddy now……and why you call YOURSELF an asshole however I would reccomend changing your name to “Dipshit.”
REALLY.. A’HOLE….you dont believe in child rape??? id say right now… its prolly a good dang thing you can hide your name here eh!!! F’oh dear !! and since when do we get “do overs” in prison… oops wait.. i dont like that sentence.. get me a different lawyer.. “DO OVER”.. f’N BETTER NOT!
For those that say he is a good guy that never touched your kids. You don’t know that! Statistics show that 90% never say anything because they are afraid, they think they will get in trouble, they don’t believe their parents will believe them, They don’t want to get the friend/relative arrested etc and the list goes on.
Hey ‘hole, would you say that to the girl that was raped or her parents? Yeah, I didn’t think that you would either…. And it seems that the girlfriend with the child ought to have her child taken away, as recent cases would suggest. Maybe she can hang out with Becky H and exchange stories…….
Ohhhh…one of *those* “good hearted men”…Good Lord, Asshole, you’re an ignorant piece of crap. Bet you’d change your tune if he had raped your child.
Hey asshole, there are two kinds of child molestors. There are those who hurt their own family, and those who hurt other people’s families.
Obviously, Juntunen is the kind of child molestor who preys on other people’s children.
You should be glad he’s that kind of child molestor or he would have raped your babies too.
His lawyer says, “The aggravator is really meant for the worst of the worst, and Reggie, he’s not that,”
That is a lie. Child molestors are the WORST OF THE WORST.
Rot in prison you pathetic excuse for a human being.
The PoS should stop whining and do his time. I guess now that he has had a year of being at the bottom of the prison pecking order, as all sex offenders are, he wants less time. Well, people in hell want ice water too.
They say he did it but it was evidence from a public rest room, hell you could get less of a sentence if u murder then 25 to life. Not say the crime is good, just saying I know he been around other kids that I’m related to and his girlfriend had a kid and he did nothing to any of them. I don’t believe in child rape and stuff but I know him personally and he was good hearted, not this demon.
HE SHOULD BE PUT TO DEATH
So what about the 8 year lil girl who had all innocence taken from her why was she even punished..did she get a fair hearing NO some sick Man was her judge and jury…Let him sit there is no reasonable punishment for what he did…
Ditto, SG. Well said!
Sorry , he raped an eight year old !!!! He IS the worst of the worst !!!! Why don’t we check in with her , and her family and see what they have to say about that? Could this lawyer tell me what constitutes the worst of the worst then? Death ? Disfigurement ? Why should he not get a life sentence ? She did. Ever deal with a little girl that has been raped? Have a Daughter? Maybe the pukes like this lawyer should get the life sentence. The fallout from this will affect and infect her , her whole fucking life and her children’s lives and so on and on . Nope he’s good and right where he needs to be.