Utah judge at rape sentencing: Ex-Mormon bishop a good man

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Originally published April 14, 2017 at 12:23 pm
Updated April 14, 2017 at 6:39 pm


PROVO, Utah (AP) — A Utah judge is facing a deluge of complaints after calling a former Mormon bishop convicted of rape an “extraordinarily good man” who did something wrong, a judicial oversight organization said Friday.

The criticism began around the time Judge Thomas Low let Keith Robert Vallejo out of custody after a jury found him guilty of 10 counts of forcible sexual abuse and one count of object rape, said Jennifer Yim, executive director of the Utah Judicial Performance Evaluation Commission.

But Yim said most of the roughly 40 emails, six voicemails and some Facebook messages received since late March came after Low sentenced Vallejo to up to life in prison and seemed to get emotional during the hearing.

Julia Kirby, 23, one of Vallejo’s victims, said she was shocked by the judge’s sympathy.

Read more: http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/utah-judge-at-rape-sentencing-ex-mormon-bishop-a-good-man/

[dalton99a]

1. Extraordinarily stupid judge should be thrown off the bench

[Igel]

2. Exactly.

Like everybody else, he's either all bad or all good. This can't be a mistake, it's just the evidence needed that he's 100% evil.

Now, had he ever done anything good in his life we'd have a real conundrum, but LA-LA-LA-LA. See, I don't know that this judge ever did a single good act, so I know he's 100% evil.

Not that I'm judgmental or worship at the altar of the fundamental attribution fallacy.

Moral judgments are best reserved for the simplistic, I guess. Everybody else gets caught up in contradictions and complexity.

I'm glad I did something good once. It means I'm 100% good, whatever bad things I might do.

Oh. Wait.

[cstanleytech]

4. Stupid yes but didnt he still sentence the guy to life? If thats true I would not throw him off

the bench for stupidly making the comment however they should avoid assigning him anymore sexual assault cases in the future.

[irisblue]

3. except for being a multiple rapist.....

That judge needs censure and removal.

[AtheistCrusader]

5. God is not Great; How Religion Poisons Everything.

Hitchens was dead on the money when he chose that title, and this sort of vicious nonsense is precisely what he was talking about.

[mdbl]

7. Yes because you can always be fogiven

No matter how heinous a person you are.

[Oneironaut]

12. Yup. Cheat, lie, steal, rape, kill. All is forgiven on Sunday.

It's a clean slate so that you can start again the next week.

Of course, that's not what Christianity really says, but most Christians don't care about Jesus. 🙂

[Stonepounder]

6. If you aren't a white male then you aren't quite up to snuff.

White males, particularly rich, athletic, or ordained white males, never do anything wrong, or if they do, they were must misguided or 'made a small mistake'.

It makes me want to go puke!

[Baconator]

9. What does race have to do with it...

There are Mormons of every color.

[Stonepounder]

10. Here in the US race, wealth, or athletic prowess has a huge amount to do with it.

The subject of the story happened to be Mormon. But it goes on all the time. My point was not this specific case, but, imagine of the suspect had been black or a Muslim or Hispanic. Do you really think that the judge would have been pained to have to sentence him?

[Baconator]

11. If the rapist was Hispanic or black and also a bishop...

... I would expect the same outcome in Utah.

[keithbvadu2]

8. Could have phrased it better..... 'Despite all the good you have done...'

[christx30]

13. No, Judge Idiot, he's not a good man.

The second he put his hands on the first woman with that intention, he proved he's not a good man. He proved he's an evil POS that deserves anything that happens to him. His victim could pull a knife and gut him like a fish, and I'd say he got off easy.
Good men don't do that BS to women. Ever. It's not a mistake in an otherwise good man. It's not a blemish on a good life. It's a stain that shows the rest of the stains on someone's soul. It's not about sex. It's the need to dominate someone, to takes something from them against their will. It damages the victim for life.

Judge should be ashamed.