Last teen in 'bored' beating case gets probation

• The last of six juveniles in the infamous %27bored%27 beating case in North College Hill was sentenced Thursday.

Michael James, the last of the teens charged in the North College Hill "bored" beating case was sentenced today.

James earlier pleaded guilty to felonious assault in exchange for prosecutors dropping an aggravated riot charge. Judge Sylvia Hendon sentenced James to probation and a complete mental health diagnostic program.

"This was a horrible, horrible, brutal, hideous incident," Hendon said in court Thursday morning. However, she said, "this court is supposed to rehabilitate children, not break them."

Hendon called James, now 16, the "least culpable" of the six teens.

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Bored beating case ends; Judge Tracie Hunter criticized

That should end the controversial court case that saw Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Tracie Hunter kick Enquirer reporters out of the public courtroom in what she said was a move to protect the six charged in the case.

None of the six went to juvenile prison. Each was on house arrest, ordered by Hunter, for about a year. All pleaded guilty to felonious assault. Five received probation. One was sent to a juvenile mental health facility.

The six told police they were bored, had nothing else to do so they beat Pat Mahaney in an Aug. 11, 2012, North College Hill incident. Mahaney was hospitalized but released days later. He died 11 months later of kidney failure. Officials said the death was unrelated to the beating. Mahaney's family said the beating caused him to isolate himself in feat and resulted in drinking himself to death.

Hendon was presiding over James' case – and the cases of three others in the case – because Hunter was suspended by the Ohio Supreme Court in January following her indictment for theft in office, tampering with evidence, forgery and other charges.