What exactly is "fair"?

[gabosaurus]

An interesting case might be about to unfold in Southern California.
Two high school seniors, one an athlete and the other the son of a prominent community leader, were arrested and charged with the rape of a 15-year-old girl.
The girl reported the rape and named the two boys. One of the boys owned up and pled guilty when charged. The girl and her family didn't want to go through a trial, so a plea bargain was agreed to. The boys spent the remainder of the school year (five months) in juvenile detention, then faced five years probation where they had to register as sex offenders. Once the five years was completed, the charge would be taken off their records.

The parents of the athlete, a football player, are now challenging the case. They believe their son's "guilty" plea was coerced and charge the other two parties with covering up the facts.
They say that the probation and sex-offender status prevents their son from attending college and playing football. They now want a trial, which they say will expose "the real truth" of the matter.

Do they have a case or not?

[Hagbard Celine]

An interesting case might be about to unfold in Southern California.
Two high school seniors, one an athlete and the other the son of a prominent community leader, were arrested and charged with the rape of a 15-year-old girl.
The girl reported the rape and named the two boys. One of the boys owned up and pled guilty when charged. The girl and her family didn't want to go through a trial, so a plea bargain was agreed to. The boys spent the remainder of the school year (five months) in juvenile detention, then faced five years probation where they had to register as sex offenders. Once the five years was completed, the charge would be taken off their records.

The parents of the athlete, a football player, are now challenging the case. They believe their son's "guilty" plea was coerced and charge the other two parties with covering up the facts.
They say that the probation and sex-offender status prevents their son from attending college and playing football. They now want a trial, which they say will expose "the real truth" of the matter.

Do they have a case or not?

Yes. It sounds like they were punished based on her word alone. They deserve retribution.

[5stringJeff]

An interesting case might be about to unfold in Southern California.
Two high school seniors, one an athlete and the other the son of a prominent community leader, were arrested and charged with the rape of a 15-year-old girl.
The girl reported the rape and named the two boys. One of the boys owned up and pled guilty when charged. The girl and her family didn't want to go through a trial, so a plea bargain was agreed to. The boys spent the remainder of the school year (five months) in juvenile detention, then faced five years probation where they had to register as sex offenders. Once the five years was completed, the charge would be taken off their records.

The parents of the athlete, a football player, are now challenging the case. They believe their son's "guilty" plea was coerced and charge the other two parties with covering up the facts.
They say that the probation and sex-offender status prevents their son from attending college and playing football. They now want a trial, which they say will expose "the real truth" of the matter.

Do they have a case or not?

If he pled guilty and has served his time, I think the matter is moot. But Yurt or Avatar would be the best ones to ask.