Judge moves 4 Oklahoma teens' rape case to juvenile court

Published Sep. 10, 2018 7:01 p.m. ET

TULSA, Okla. (AP) — A judge in Oklahoma has decided to move the rape case against four former Bixby football players to juvenile court, which will close the proceedings to the public.

The Tulsa World reports Tulsa County Special Judge April Seibert ruled Monday that the four teenagers presented adequate evidence they were amenable to treatment in the juvenile court system.

The four teens are accused of attacking a 16-year-old boy with a pool cue last summer in an assault captured on cellphone video. They each have pleaded not guilty to second-degree rape by instrumentation.

Prosecutors had argued for adult sentencing, emphasizing what they described as the traumatic nature of the offense and a "culture of bullying" within the Bixby football program.

Attorneys for the teens sought to move the case to juvenile court.