(Ex-Mayor) Giordano (R) says child sex didn't abuse mayoral authority

[Khephra]

snip........

Giordano's attorney argued before the 2nd U.S. Circuit of Appeals on Wednesday that the former mayor wasn't using his political power when he paid to have oral sex with the 8- and 10-year-old girls.

If the three-panel appeals court agrees, it could jeopardize Giordano's conviction and 37-year prison sentence.

During an hour-long court hearing Wednesday, Judge Dennis Jacobs said that committing a crime while mayor is not necessarily the same thing as using political office to commit a crime.

Jacobs suggested that Giordano didn't need to use his political power to force the girls into sex.

"Did the children testify that they wouldn't have submitted if he hadn't been the mayor?" Jacobs asked federal prosecutors. "They never said that because it's not true."

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-ct--giordanoappeal1021oct20,0,5707609.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire

[Beetwasher]

1. Uhh, Err, Ummm

Hmmm...Uhh, Ok, whatever... but he's still a sick fucking pervert and deserves a painful death or at the very least to be locked away forever...

[aden_nak]

2. Oh, he didn't use his governmental influence? Well then it's okay then.

WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK?

[WI_DEM]

3. this scumbag had oral sex with 8 & 10 year old girls

and now he is trying to get this thrown out on a technicality.

[zbdent]

15. never mind - self delete

Okay, I read the article.

[Philostopher]

4. I just puked in my mouth.

Jesus Christ. Do I understand this right -- if it's decided that his being mayor didn't affect his putting his penis into the mouth of an 8-year-old girl, his conviction could be overturned?

[kwyjibo]

10. I think it just means he'll get a lighter sentence

not so harsh as 37 years.

I can't fucking believe it, too...

I'm reading Reefer Madness by Eric Schlosser right now.. there are thousands of people in prison for doing nothing more than having a joint, even for being stoned, and a lot of them are in for way longer than this guy will be. There are even some life sentences for marijuana. THOSE people who didn't hurt anybody should be free, to open up more room for EVIL people who can do such awful things to children like this guy.

Hopefully the prosecutor can make the argument that if he weren't mayor, he wouldn't have thought he could get away with his actions.

[Philostopher]

12. Not only that ...

I'm guessing if he were just 'Joe Sixpack' who'd traded a carton of cigarettes for the neighbor's daughter, he'd already have been in jail and been turned into a grease spot by his fellow prisoners. This guy probably has been protected, if he's being held in prison, and it turns out the prosecution allowed him to be prosecuted for something that probably can't be proved to get a heavy sentence ... and then on appeal it can be overturned or changed.

You're right about the 'war on some drugs,' too. I'm as sick of that as I am all the other chicanery that passes for justice in this country.

[Out the Parasites]

5. Why is so difficult for them? Because it's embarassing to their party?

snip>

Between 2000 and 2001, Giordano paid a crack-addicted prostitute to bring her daughter and niece to City Hall, his home and his law office for oral sex. After each encounter, Giordano told the girls not to talk about it or the woman would go to jail.

Prosecutors said those warnings, plus the fact that Giordano drove a police cruiser and carried a badge, made him an intimidating figure whom the girls were afraid to disobey.

"He watched over them like God," Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Jongbloed said. "He ruled the city."

The three-judge appeals panel did not rule on Giordano's appeal Wednesday. Decisions frequently take several months and Giordano's case is particularly complicated.

snip <

Dang it...this is clearly an abuse of power. Molesting children isn't about sex, its about POWER. I'm not sure why this is so difficult for anyone to rule on.


ARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

[dansolo]

13. He threatened the girl's mother with imprisonment

He had the authority as mayor/policeman to carry out his threat. This is an obvious case of abuse of power. Personally, I think he got off light with only 37 years. That guy really should rot in jail for the rest of his life.

[amber dog democrat]

6. either way he's toast

I suppose i would grasp at straws too if I was in a similar situation.

There is no statute of limitation on child sexual abuse. Even Republicans have to agree on that.

[goodhue]

11. Statutes of Limitation on Sexual Abuse

Criminal
http://www.rainn.org/statutesoflimitationcrim.pdf

Civil
http://www.smith-lawfirm.com/statutestable.html

[amber dog democrat]

14. I stand corrected.

It susrprises me to learn this.

Thanks.

[tom_paine]

7. A REAL Bushevik there

[histohoney]

8. YUCK

I don't care what office he held, what a monster!
How in heck does he have the hut spa to even bring this to an appellant court. He should be so ashamed of himself he'd want to stay in jail.

I hope to heck they keep this nightmare locked up for 37+ years.

Yuck, I need a bath now.:puke:

[foo_bar]

9. right, they're too young for graft jobs

Who said you can't beat city hall?

[PROGRESSIVE1]

16. Giordano is a Criminal!!!!

He is unqualified to hold office if he RAPES LITTLE CHILDREN!!!!

It seems that Sexual Assault is a GOP Specialty!

:mad:

[NorthernSpy]

18. well, sexual assault & the authoritarian personality go hand in hand

A person who gets off on shoving cruel, reactionary policies down our throats probably also gets off on ramming other things down our throats as well...

It's an 'authority' thing.

:puke:


Mary

[No2W2004]

17. I'm still not getting this....

why the fuck does his job have anything to do with the fact that he had oral sex with an 8 year old and a 10 yar old? What difference does it possibly make if he "used his office" or not?

The fact is HE'S A FUCKING CHILD MOLESTER!!!

lock his ass down in GP with NO protection...see how much his "office" helps when he's getting a broom handle shov....grrrr, sorry....:argh:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

19. Lock him up & throw away the key.

If there are people like me in Waterbury, and I strongly suspect there are, Giordano's not going to want to come out of jail to face them.

[Demonaut]

20. Google "mugshot Philip Giordano" see what a piece of shit repuke

looks like

[user]

21. don't forget

He was the best the Connecticut GOP had to run for senate in 2000 with Bush's blessing. says a lot for Connecticut republican family values that he was the best they had but then John Rowland was their choice for Governor.