ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, N.C. -- Current District Attorney for Rockingham County Jason Ramey says he understands why the public doesn't like the plea deal for Mickey Snow and notes he doesn't like it either.
Snow, the Eden man accused of paying to have sex with minors, accepted a plea deal Thursday. He pleaded guilty to one charge of Aiding and Abetting for his role in a prostitution case involving teen girls.
Ramey said his office offered a Class H Felony charge, and pushed for as much time behind bars as possible. The judge ultimately accepted the plea deal and gave Snow a suspended sentence, probation and credit for time served, meaning he won't have to go back to jail.
On Friday, Ramey released the following statement:
I understand why the public will not like this plea deal. I do not like it either. Mr. Snow’s disgusting and reprehensible conduct should have been punished so much more; however, based upon the gross misconduct of a previous administration that has severely limited our ability to successfully prosecute this case, I, former District Attorney Tom Keith, several assistant district attorneys, Sgt. Brian Disher of the Eden Police Department who was the lead investigator, the Department of Social Services, and most importantly, the victim of Mr. Snow’s crimes, agree that this plea deal was what needed to be done to bring closure to this matter. It would be far better politically in a high profile case like this to just send this to the jury and let whatever happens fall upon them, but that would not be the right thing to do, based upon the victim’s desire for this case to plea without going to trial, what she would have to endure at trial, and the uncertainty of the outcome of a trial. The victim has suffered far too much already, and her wellbeing is the most important thing to us. I want to assure the public that my office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting sexual assaults and crimes against children, and we will work tirelessly to make sure that wrongs committed in this case by Craig Blitzer will never be repeated again in any future case.
Ramey was not available for interview because there are still other cases related to Snow's that are pending.