I could see it going either way. I have no reason to suspect that the State level has any more interest in justice than the local level did; but now it’s the local officialdom, rather than the victim, who occupy the role of ‘people who made us look bad in public’, and that is not something that is taken lightly.
If it has come to the point where a state level investigation has been forced to come in and sort out the locals, it wouldn’t at all surprise me if that investigation is being moved by some combination of people who’d prefer that the whole matter stay under wraps; but have been forced by national attention (who will Not Be Happy with the locals who couldn’t keep their dirty laundry out of sight) and people who want to rack up a few scalps in the prosecuting business (who likely have no illusions about making friends in Steubenville; but smell blood on a larger scale).
If such is the case, it could end up being fairly uncomfortable for the big fish, now out of their small pond.
