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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsMontana’s top court suspends judge who blamed 14-year-old girl for being raped
By Reuters
By Laura Zuckerman
(Reuters) The Montana Supreme Court on Tuesday censured a judge and suspended him for 31 days for improperly suggesting a 14-year-old girl was culpable in her rape and unlawfully sentencing the former teacher convicted of the crime to just a month in jail.
State District Judge G. Todd Baugh was silent after Montanas chief justice read aloud a censure statement at a brief hearing Tuesday in Helena. Womens rights activists have been seeking Baughs ouster for almost a year.
In court documents, Baugh admitted responsibility for imposing a lenient sentence on Stacey Rambold for the 2007 sexual assault of Cherice Moralez, but said his own punishment by the Supreme Court was excessive. Baugh sentenced Rambold to 15 years in prison with all but 31 days suspended, and credit for one day served, during the hearing in August 2013.
During the proceedings he remarked that the teenage victim, who committed suicide before the case could be prosecuted, had been as much in control of the situation as the teacher who was 47 when he raped her.
Montana justices said Baughs actions undermined public confidence in the judiciary and that state law requires a sentence of at least four years for a defendant guilty of raping a victim under the age of 16.
more
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/07/23/montanas-top-court-suspends-judge-who-blamed-14-year-old-girl-for-being-raped/
newfie11
(8,159 posts)enough
(13,256 posts)moriah
(8,311 posts)Go ahead and retire him early with pension, if that's what it takes to get a dinosaur off the fucking bench.
Squinch
(50,949 posts)After which he is back on the bench?
He comes back after his 31 day suspension, and hears MORE cases?
The article says he plans to retire at the end of the year, so no doubt this slap on the wrist is a careful plan to keep his pension intact.
This is not an appropriate way to deal with this man. He should be out and he should be out now and all his cases should be reviewed.
This is disgusting.
daleanime
(17,796 posts)redqueen
(115,103 posts)mark67
(196 posts)but his actions did garner national attention and he'll now leave the bench mostly in disgrace and a laughing stock.
sorefeet
(1,241 posts)and that is the same month he takes his punishment. This censure is just as chicken shit as what he did. He loses one month pay and gets to retire with full pension. Now that's punishment??? The little girl is dead. Quite the insult to her parents.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)tomm2thumbs
(13,297 posts)rateyes
(17,438 posts)Calista241
(5,586 posts)Unfortunately.
gussmith
(280 posts)Abuse of authority, abuse of position; there are surely grounds to charge this judge.
Calista241
(5,586 posts)Following the law cannot be construed as abuse of any kind. The judges comments were idiotic, but don't amount to criminal misconduct.
Never thought I'd like to see mandatory minimum sentences, but cases like this don't make them look like all that bad an idea.
intheflow
(28,462 posts)The article says, "Montana justices said Baughs actions undermined public confidence in the judiciary and that state law requires a sentence of at least four years for a defendant guilty of raping a victim under the age of 16."
He sentenced the man to 15 years but suspended all but a month of the sentence. Ergo, his decision was not within the scope of the law. Hence his suspension.
Paladin
(28,252 posts)Heidi
(58,237 posts)And some folks deny the existence of rape culture.
riqster
(13,986 posts)Justice? What justice?
onecaliberal
(32,826 posts)Squinch
(50,949 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)d_b
(7,463 posts)Squinch
(50,949 posts)d_b
(7,463 posts)that better?
TNNurse
(6,926 posts)Publicly scorned.
Louisiana1976
(3,962 posts)smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)He doesn't deserve to serve in a court of law. Disgusting!
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)not to mention the blatantly immoral stance against a child victim.
Sorry. Not good enough.
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)abelenkpe
(9,933 posts)Let's see, rapist gets one month of jail, victim blaming judge gets 31 day suspension, 14 year old victim dead. O yeah, that sounds like justice.
Roy Serohz
(236 posts)progressoid
(49,982 posts)awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)the DA's office should start papering him
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)This judge needs to be disbarred for good.
Uncle Joe
(58,349 posts)Thanks for the thread, DonViejo.