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Today's Poll: When couples are caught in public having sex, should their names be released?

By Howard B. Owens
Becky Scroger

If they don't want to be caught, or have their names released, they should spend the $30-$40 on a motel room, and not have sex in public! It'd be alot cheaper!

Jun 7, 2010, 9:18am Permalink
Mike Corona

Howard mission accomplished!! Why is everyone missing the point on should they print the names or not. Howard played everyone -should we -shouldn't we -kids are involved- humiliation cmon who really thought the name was not going to make it to this website? Number 1 goal for the owners- traffic to The Batavian Website and away from The Daily News website! Who is going to go to The Daily News when Howard will post it all? Without the traffic Howard is back in San Diego sitting on the beach, which does confuse me a little about Howard.
PS Howard great story on the Elks Lodge by the way. Is there any way we could get a copy of that Picture? Or at least post a picture of the picnic table from the park now that would get some traffic!!

Jun 7, 2010, 10:02am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Mike, sorry you don't think I'm sincere in what I wrote and the process that I went through on this. You're going to believe what you're going to believe. Nothing I can do about that.

Jun 7, 2010, 10:04am Permalink
C D

He has a point. You've always had some kind of ethical center that journalists usually don't have. It put you a notch above the Daily.

Regardless, unless this whole incident is going to spark some kind of hippie revolution in Batavia, what are the odds something like this will happen again?

Jun 7, 2010, 10:10am Permalink
Liz Fuchs

Mr Corona, I can only presume your the husband or relative of the suspect. There is no reason for you to personally attack Howard for posting a name, because you, or your children may now be embarresed by it. That's something the suspect should have taken into consideration before commiting an act/crime that vile. Had it been your children witnessing something like that, you would then be complaining that Howard didn't print the name in the first place. Pick and choose your battles, sir. Unfortunetly this one is not meant for Howard.

Jun 7, 2010, 10:19am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Chris, I'm not sure I see what you're saying. I'd like to think that I act as a journalist as ethically and transparently as possible. You say he has a point, but he's criticizing me for publishing the name. That, to me, was a mistake, an arguably ethical blunder. So your statement strikes me as a contradiction.

Unless you're saying that you, too, believe that I manipulated this whole thing ... not publish, then publish ... just for additional traffic. Why would I do that? Why would I purposefully risk our credibility in that way? That would be pretty dumb.

Yes, we like traffic. Yes, I'd like to believe we're more honest and transparent than the Daily. But we accomplish both goals by being true to who we are and not hiding or playing favorites.

As for it happening again, this is the second similar incident in Genesee County in the past year or so (and we struggled with properly covering that one, too).

Jun 7, 2010, 10:20am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Mike, yes, it's good for business. So was the Wiard Plow factory fire, and the false abduction story, and the Scott Doll trial. All of those things helped us achieve record traffic in May. I'm very aware of how big stories drive traffic. That doesn't change how I cover them, except to do the best job I can with them. Which comes back to why it was a mistake not to include the name in the initial post. I could have and should have done better.

Jun 7, 2010, 10:24am Permalink
Mike Corona

Liz I dont need your help in what I would say or do I'll let you know.
Howard dont take this as personal attack I voted yes to the poll question. Just questioned the reasons. I want to see the names because when Liz makes it I want to be the first to know.

Jun 7, 2010, 10:37am Permalink
Liz Fuchs

Mr Corona, you're certainly full of spit and vinegar aren't you. I didn't mean a personal attack towards you either, just questioned YOUR reasoning. Not so easy to bite the bullet, when it's shot at you I guess.

Jun 7, 2010, 10:49am Permalink
Jamie Lindsley

Does Mr. Gahagan imply that one's geographical location belies one's intellegence level? In comparison to my abode, Mr. Howard's residential location is downright metropolitan. Does that make me even more of "an unsophisticated, boorish and provincial person; rube"? I think not.

Jun 7, 2010, 11:02am Permalink
Bea McManis

This is not the first, nor will it be the last, woman in Batavia do join the ranks of Hester Prynne.
The lack of good judgement is obvious. The public shaming is obvious as well.
In the 17th century there was a scaffold where the guilty parties were put on display. We no longer have the scaffold, but we do have the internet. It serves the same purpose.
There is no one to blame but the parties involved. Thier indiscretion is not the blame of the police, those in the park that day, or for that matter the media. Attempting to shift the focus on anyone other than the two involved in this public display makes no sense.
Cause and effect can be very powerful. Whatever effects this incident have on their families, friends, and co-workers was caused by them and no one else.

Jun 7, 2010, 11:25am Permalink
Roxanna Yaeger

It's a job Chris.He's working for a company. Who knows what his ethical center is? Only his friends and family really know. If he's smart he'll keep that part of himself for the chosen few. I was with your first post. I remember driving to work through the Mojave in California listening to a liberal talk show host on the way in to work and Rush Limbaugh on the way home (45 minute drive) Laughing my self silly both ways at how folks get so emotionally involved in media venues.These guys played the audience like Charlie Daniels plays his fiddle! I just love to ruffle feathers my self! It make me laugh and that is a wonderful stress reliever!

Jun 7, 2010, 11:31am Permalink
George Richardson

I'm with you Roxanna, but Howard was only responding to criticism. I don't believe he was trying to drive traffic. As for you Richard, you are as hooked as I am so you'll be back but now you will have to confine yourself to lurker status. If you ever post again I'm going to jump on it as soon as I see it, every single time.

Jun 7, 2010, 12:33pm Permalink
George Richardson

"Or at least post a picture of the picnic table from the park now that would get some traffic!!"
Howard, I'm going to ask Roxanna if she would be willing to participate in an re-enactment with Richard, since he's up there anyway. I would do it myself but my wife would kill me for wasting her frequent flier miles. Names will be changed to protect the innocent, that means you Roxanna, Richard is not innocent so Howard is free to print his name.

Jun 7, 2010, 1:41pm Permalink
George Richardson

"post a picture of the picnic table from the park"
I must confess I am a lover of alliteration, and this is a most excellent example of the art.

Jun 7, 2010, 1:47pm Permalink
Dave Olsen

George, just for you: peter will have to pay the piper for pokin' in the park on the picnic table, poor pete, the patrolman may place him in the pokey, Howard will post pete's picture when the police photograph him, the pablum will pacify the public while the pack pans the publisher of the Batavian for precipitating the pounding of peter's public prestige.

Jun 7, 2010, 3:00pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

This story is only going to get bigger. The Buffalo and Rochester media have been in town, and so the police have scheduled a press conference for 3:30 p.m. for the out-of-town media.

Jun 7, 2010, 3:04pm Permalink
Dave Olsen

Hell, we may be witnessing the beginning of a porn star's career. Shows you what people's minds are really on, recession, oil spill, North & South Korea, European debt crisis, elections, state budget, baseball, who cares? Someone somewhere is gettin' laid!!!!!! Unbelievable, a couple of drunk idiots act like dogs and off we go.

Jun 7, 2010, 3:16pm Permalink
Gabor Deutsch

I hope A.M.W and John Walsh don't show up because you know they like to do those reenactments. I can hear the questions now : "please describe in detail what you saw officer" or "please describe what position these individuals were in at the time of arrest". Its just a matter of time before this gets debated on a TV show like The View or The Today show with Hoda and Kathy Lee. This might even make the next list of things that made Genesee County famous !

Jun 7, 2010, 3:24pm Permalink
Bob Price

Gee,I wonder if it'll make CNN????? It was the first thing Kimberly talked about on the Buzz this morning,and the people called in all morning putting their 2 cents in.Howard-you should call them up next time they use one of your articles-they will more than likely put you on the air-just think how much more traffic The Batavian would get if you do that......

Jun 7, 2010, 3:56pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

My prediction: This story is going national. It's not the public sex that's driving it. It's the adultery charge. Mind you, it won't be a lead story anywhere, but it's going to get picked up by lots of non-New York outlets. The whole discussion about whether to release the names was pretty moot once the Buffalo and Rochester media turned attention to it.

Jun 7, 2010, 4:29pm Permalink
tom king

Couple accused of having sex in Batavia parkBATAVIA -- Police have accused a man and woman of having sex on a picnic table in view of children in Farrall Park in Batavia.

Batavia Police charged Suzanne M. Corona, 41, of Batavia, and Justin M. Amend, 29, of Oakfield, with public lewdness for the Friday evening incident.

The woman was also charged with adultery, Batavia Police said.

The two were issued appearance tickets Friday and released.

Police said the the couple was found having sex on the picnic table at 5:15 p.m. Friday in plain view of children and other adults using the park.

Both public lewdness and adultery are misdemeanor charges.

Corona and Amend are due back in Batavia City Court on Tuesday.
"The Buffalo News"

Jun 7, 2010, 4:35pm Permalink
Gabor Deutsch

I just emailed Brian Williams at Dateline NBC with a new pitch for a television series : To Catch an Adulterer Having Sex in Public. I also emailed SNL.

Jun 7, 2010, 4:54pm Permalink
william tapp

OMG every one is making way to much out of this.
i trust Howards judgment and its up to him to make it. i for one come here for the local news , its usually here first . Howard does a great job. so lets let Howard do his job.if you dont like it then dont come here, that simple.
as far as the couple , if you do the crime then you can do the time

Jun 7, 2010, 5:15pm Permalink
Gabor Deutsch

Hey George, Maybe this little diddly will cheer you up :

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FQ5ob9B9yD4&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FQ5ob9B9yD4&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&quot; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Jun 7, 2010, 5:18pm Permalink
Roxanna Yaeger

George your way off base with that one!Why don't you participate in the re inactment with Richard better news day! Besides believe it or not I have never and would never committ adultry and if my husband ever see what you suggested you won't be able to either if you get my drift!

Jun 7, 2010, 6:16pm Permalink
Bob Price

I bet the Buzz will have the pictures posted on their website tomorrow,along w/ more discussion.After my earlier comment today,I checked some of the other media websites(Buffalo/Rochester)-WGRZ,it was a top story-WIVB-in the local crime section-WHAM13 it was in the top story section-WHEC-was on the sidebar....this was around 4pm-haven't checked since...

Jun 7, 2010, 8:54pm Permalink
George Richardson

Sorry Roxanna, cheap jokes are just that,cheap. I sincerely apologize, but if Richard says Ok, I'll do it. What the hell, I got a laugh off of him. It's his turn now. This damn internet brings out the worst in me.

Jun 7, 2010, 10:45pm Permalink
Gabor Deutsch

Roxanna, wasn't sure if it was you ! Yes, its Me ! They got a real name policy here so only peeps that know me well know its "GeeDaveDee" LOL.

Jun 8, 2010, 11:47am Permalink

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