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

[AtheistCrusader]

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/


X-posted from LBN, via poster Judi Lynn

[Lint Head]

1. Must have given him a break because he was wearing his monogram underwear.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

2. Good men don't rape.

Period. I am so fucking tired of male judges thinking what men do to women is somehow okay, or that they are still "good" men despite their criminal acts.

More men need to be raped. It's that simple.

[Lordquinton]

3. Like the Stanford rape case

his parents wrote letters talking about how good he was, and how his midwestern morals didn't stand a chance against Santa Clara debauchery, and the judge went easy on him.

At least this got to trial, and scored a conviction.

[beam me up scottie]

4. The judge calls 10 counts of rape the actions of an "extraordinarily good man"?

Low’s comments also sparked outrage Friday from advocates for sexual assault victims.

“The signal that it sends to sexual violence survivors is that if you choose to disclose, that we’re still going to treat your perpetrator as if they’re a good person,” Turner Bitton, executive director of the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

Rape is not a 'mistake', it's one of the most morally reprehensible crimes someone can commit and it's infuriating that the judge called a serial rapist an "extraordinarily good man".

[trotsky]

5. Just another example of religious privilege.

Nothing to see here, move along...