Gravelles were NOT 'being led by the Lord'

'Cages' parents get 2 years in prison
Gravelles can be free during appeal
Puente, Mark. Cleveland Plain Dealer, Feb. 16, 2007, pg. B1.

Norwalk - Michael and Sharen Gravelle should be locked up for as long as they kept four of their 11 special-needs children in enclosures, two of their adopted children told a judge Thursday.

Huron County Prosecutor Russ Leffler asked Common Pleas Judge Earl McGimpsey to jail the Gravelles for 12 years - three years for each of the four children who slept in the wooden and wire enclosures, which had been dubbed cages.

McGimpsey disagreed.

He ordered the couple to each spend two years in prison. But the judge allowed them to remain free until their appeals are exhausted, which could take 12 months or more. Ohio child-abuse laws are not clear on what constitutes abuse, McGimpsey told a packed courtroom.

"Fairness requires the sentence to be stayed," he said.

A jury found each of the Gravelles guilty in December on 11 of 24 counts of child endangerment and child abuse. County officials removed the children from their home in September 2005 after receiving a tip about children sleeping in cages.

Prosecutors focused their case on the Gravelles' harsh discipline and the enclosures. The Gravelles said they built the enclosures to prevent the children from destructive behavior, which included eating nonfood items.

They lost custody of the adopted children last March, but their attorney argued Monday for a reversal of the decision before a Toledo appeals court. The decision will be released within 30 days.

Two of the Gravelles' older children prepared statements and had county officials read them to the court. The judge would not allow the media to identify the children by name.

An older teenage girl said she cannot forget the emotional toll caused by living with the Gravelles, who she said treated her like a dog. The couple had no business adopting children, she said.

"Your excuse was the cages was stopping us from hurting each other and ourselves that is the biggest amount of hogwash you ever told anyone," she wrote. "Why would we hurt ourselves when you were already doing that?"

The teenage boy's statement said he was thankful for no longer having to live with the Gravelles and he preferred to live with foster parents.

"Because of them I don't have to steal food," he wrote. "I can use the bathroom whenever I want. Never again will I have to sleep in a box."

The two children put their heads down and joked with their foster parents as each of the Gravelles addressed McGimpsey.

Michael Gravelle stood at a lectern for about 12 minutes, like a preacher trying to energize a congregation.

His face turned red and his voice rose when he told the judge: "I'm begging you. I do not deserve jail."

He said he and his wife thought they were doing the right thing by trying to help children, but the task overwhelmed them.

"We felt we were being led by the Lord," Michael Gravelle said.

Sharen Gravelle stood and remained silent for about one minute as she wiped away tears.

"I made mistakes," she said. "Nothing was intentional."

The case quickly garnered worldwide attention and focused questions on Ohio's adoption practices.

An investigation by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services concluded in November 2005 that the adoption system was so flawed it could not protect children from going to homes with too many children, unsafe conditions or parents who are accused of child abuse.

After the hearing, Leffler said the judge's sentence should have been longer. Leffler said he did not understand why the judge did not seem confident in sending the Gravelles to prison Thursday.

"They will never serve a day in jail," defense attorney Ken Myers said.

Each of the Gravelles could have received up to five years in prison for each of the four felonies they were convicted of. They also were convicted of seven misdemeanors.