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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Jackson County Mental Health will begin White City appointments ... No charges will be filed in double-fatal crash on Interstate 5 ... Free well water testing for nitrate contamination offered in Central Point ... Jackson County Mental Health will begin White City appointments ... No charges will be filed in double-fatal crash on Interstate 5 ... Free well water testing for nitrate contamination offered in Central Point ... COURTS Sex abuse case settlement denied for Oregon gay rights activist Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Jul. 17, 2015 at 4:47 PM By The Associated Press Posted Jul. 17, 2015 at 4:47 PM » Social News EUGENE — A judge isn't letting Oregon gay rights activist Terry Bean settle a teen sex-abuse case out of court. The Register-Guard reports 66-year-old Bean and his ex-boyfriend, 25-year-old Kiah Lawson, have pleaded not guilty and are being tried Aug. 11 on felony sex abuse charges. Prosecutors say the men met a 15-year-old boy at a hotel and paid him $40 for the encounter. The boy is now 17 years old and wants the charges dismissed. Portland lawyer Lori Deveny joined Lawson's lawyers in supporting the out-of-court settlement before Judge Charles Zennaché in Eugene. She said her client won't testify, and that the settlement would have given him the voice and protection he's been seeking. "I can tell you it's not only about the money," Deveny said in court. "He's not just getting money. He's getting many of the things that are important to him for the rest of his life." Prosecutor Scott Healy said the agreement may be allowable under the law, it wasn't appropriate for a sex abuse case. Zennaché said ruled against the out-of-court settlement. "It sounds like kids are for purchase," Zennaché said. "That doesn't sound like good public policy." Derek Ashton is representing Bean and issued a statement shortly after the settlement was denied. "Terry Bean is innocent of these charges," Ashton said. "Nothing that transpired (on Thursday) changes that fact, despite the prosecutor's attempts to color the proceedings. Terry looks forward to proving his innocence at trial." Ashton said in court that Healy colored proceedings by filing court documents referring to two men who say Bean abused them when they were teens. Zennaché will decide whether to allow their testimony at trial. Bean is a Portland real estate developer who helped to found two national political groups, the Human Rights Campaign and the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund. He has been a major contributor for several Democratic presidential candidates. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Jul. 17, 2015 at 4:47 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501