XPost: talk.politics.guns, atl.general, talk.politics.misc   
   XPost: alt.abortion, sac.politics   
   From: february2025@jail.time   
      
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   ATHENS, Ga. — A Georgia mother is grateful after a historic case lands the   
   man who raped her daughter in prison for life.   
      
   A jury found Michael Lareco Daniel guilty on seven charges, including rape,   
   incest, and child molestation.   
      
   The girl was only 14 years old when her mom found disturbing text messages on   
   her phone and started asking questions. 11Alive is not naming the girl or   
   mother to protect the child's identity. Both have a different last name than   
   the father.   
      
   “He a lot of times was asking her to come into our home office with him and   
   if she didn’t respond, he would ask her to delete the messages,” the   
   mother said.   
      
   But the trial almost didn’t happen.   
      
   The Athens Clarke County District Attorney’s Office dismissed the case in   
   2023 after picking a jury because it decided it did not have enough evidence.   
   That’s in part because the prosecutor, Robert Wilson, admitted he had failed   
   to subpoena a key    
   witness.   
      
   The announcement blindsided the family, including the daughter at the center   
   of the case, who thought the trial was ready to start.   
      
   “I was shocked and then I became kind of angry because I wasn’t   
   understanding,” said the mom.   
      
   RELATED: 'We just wanted to have our day in court' | Victim's mom urges judge   
   to reindict father accused of raping 14-year-old daughter   
      
   That’s when she found Athen’s attorney Kevin Epps, who agreed to file   
   what’s believed to be the first lawsuit in Georgia for a Marsy’s Law   
   violation.   
      
   Marsy’s Law represents the constitutionally protected rights victims of   
   violent crimes have in Georgia. Among them, the right to be notified and speak   
   at hearings where a major decision, like dismissing a case, is made.   
      
   The judge hearing the family’s Marsy’s Law case agreed, the girl’s   
   rights had been violated. The Athens DA’s office also agreed to recuse   
   themselves from the case, allowing the judge to request the state appoint a   
   new prosecutor to reassess the    
   merits of the case.   
      
   That responsibility fell on Randy McGinley, the district attorney for the   
   Alcovy Judicial Circuit, who decided the case should be re-indicted.   
      
   RELATED: 'So horrifically unjust' | Victims seek accountability when   
   navigating Georgia's Marsy's Law   
      
   On Friday, proudly wearing a shirt proclaiming "always and forever girl power"   
   – the girl’s mother expressed her gratitude to those at The Cottage, a   
   sexual assault and children’s advocacy center in Athens.   
      
   She also thanked the Alcovy Judicial Circuit for following through with the   
   case.   
      
   “If I didn’t have these attorneys, we wouldn’t have went back to court,"   
   said the mom. "But I also wouldn’t have found out how bad they messed up our   
   case because they just wanted me to think that it wasn’t enough evidence."   
      
   The mother shared that when it comes to children, she wants parents to pay   
   attention to the signs. She knew something was wrong and was committed to   
   doing right by her daughter.   
      
   "When it comes to fighting for justice, make sure that you get the justice   
   that you deserve because I could have easily taken that dismissal and not do   
   anything about it, but it just didn't sit well with me," she said.   
      
   But a jury, which heard testimony from both the daughter and the mother,   
   clearly disagreed. They only deliberated for 45 minutes before returning with   
   their guilty verdict.   
      
      
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