Posted on 01/06/2006 6:30:56 AM PST by NYer
Claiming he no longer believes in punishment, a Vermont judge issued a 60-day sentence to a man who confessed to repeatedly raping a girl over a four-year period, beginning when she was 7 years old.
Judge Edward Cashman disagreed with prosecutors who thought Mark Hulett, 34, of Williston, Vt., deserved eight to 20 years in prison, reported WCAX-TV in Burlington, Vt.
Cashman said he's more concerned now about rehabilitation.
"The one message I want to get through is that anger doesn't solve anything. It just corrodes your soul," Cashman told a packed Burlington courtroom made up mostly of people related to the victim.
Prior to the decision, Chittenden Deputy Prosecutor Nicole Andreson argued punishment "is a valid purpose."
"The state recognizes that the court may not agree or subscribe to that method of sentencing but the state does," she said, according to the Burlington TV station. "The state thinks that it is a very important factor for the court to consider."
Cashman said he wants to make sure Hulett gets sex-offender treatment.
Under Department of Corrections classification, however, Hulett is considered a low-risk for re-offense, which means he doesn't qualify for in-prison treatment.
Cashman, therefore, issued a 60-day sentence and ordered Hulett to complete sex-treatment when he gets out or face a possible life sentence.
The judge said that when he began 25 years ago, he handed down tough sentences but now believes "it accomplishes nothing of value."
"It doesn't make anything better; it costs us a lot of money; we create a lot of expectation, and we feed on anger," Cashman explained to the people in the court, WCAX reported.
Members of the victim's family were outraged.
"I don't like it," the victim's mother told the TV station, in tears. "He should pay for what he did to my baby and stop it here. She's not even home with me and he can be home for all this time, and do what he did in my house."
Is he just TRYING to get thrown off the bench?
So why should this verdict surprise anybody? It's par for the course!
It takes longer than 60 days for the kitchen table I ordered to arrive.
>>>This judge claims to have done this so that the offender can receive rehabilitation. I want to know what type of rehabilitation that would be. >>>
I see not mention he ordered 'rehabilitation'!!!
What good is diminishing his prison sentence for rehabilitation if you don't order that too!?!?!
60 days for rape?! When's Angelina Jolie gonna be in Vermont? I could do 60 days for some of that!
"Cashman, therefore, issued a 60-day sentence and ordered Hulett to complete sex-treatment when he gets out or face a possible life sentence"
It's in the article.
That's a good question. Judge Cashman apparently used to be regarded as a tough-minded and fair jurist. He has a long and distinguished career (as even cursory investigation will show you). Very strange.
Have you sent this story to Bill O'Reilly or Oprah? Both of them are big advocates for the protection of children who are victims of sex crimes and will give it some much needed exposure.
Still, no punishment? hmmmm Is he married? Wonder what would happen is someone raped his wife.. Wait a second hes a liberal... umm what if someone raped his boyfriend. :D
Hannity and Colmes had this on last night. Amazingly even Colmes disagreed with this decision going after the liberal fruitcake they had on defending the judge.
I am suprised that O'Reilly didn't talk about this with his crusade against judges of this ilk.
He's a joke and it's a joke state. Great maple syrup though, buy grade B
After all, alligators have got to eat too.
Its Bush's fault.
"The one message I want to get through is that anger doesn't solve anything. It just corrodes your soul,"
No, it's your liberalist selective guilt which corrodes the soul to hell by condenming the "angry", judge.
Being angry is another way of calling someone a liar in the liberal world, in a PC way.
To me this judge is an angry hateful irresponsible SOB who deserves to go to jail for 20 years in the same cell with the pedophile... he made that clear indeed that there are worse than pedophiles, and it is pedophil-o-philes judges like him who are, encouraging the practice.
Pedophiles cannot be rehabilitated. That is a given.
Pedophiles in prison do not touch children. That is a given.
How stupid is this judge?
Anger that frees from guilt and not which makes one feel guilty, is the righteous anger. This judge makes the victim feel guilty. Another fubar Nazi racist sympathizing liberal judge who feels less and less responsibility for victims.
>>>"Cashman, therefore, issued a 60-day sentence and ordered Hulett to complete sex-treatment when he gets out or face a possible life sentence"
It's in the article.>>>
Sorry I missed that.
Maybe we no longer believe in this judge, or his worth of staying on the bench.
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