Judge Who Berated Hunters, Cut Sentence Loses Seat

kutv.com ^ | Nov 8, 2006 | NA

[neverdem]

Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY Voters removed a 3rd District judge who reduced the sentence of a sex offender and also caught the wrath of deer hunters and gun owners for an anti-hunting diatribe from the bench.

In Salt Lake, Tooele and Summit counties, 54 percent of voters Tuesday said Judge Leslie Lewis should not be retained, a rare defeat for a sitting jurist.

Lewis, a judge since 1991, was out of town and unavailable for comment, court spokeswoman Nancy Volmer said Wednesday.

“I just don’t like the way this one was done,” said Greg Skordas, one of 40 lawyers who bought a newspaper ad supporting Lewis. “I felt it was underhanded.”

Judicial elections rarely get headlines, but Lewis found herself in the crosshairs of opponents, who set up a Web site that showed her berating a man in an illegal hunting case. She also sent the man’s brother to a holding cell when he left the courtroom in a huff.

Separately, a week before the election, an attorney said Lewis had reduced the sentence of his client, a sex offender, to 20 years from 30 years and repeatedly discouraged him from telling prosecutors.

Salt Lake County prosecutors filed a complaint with the Judicial Conduct Commission. Attorney General Mark Shurtleff has asked an appeals court to reverse the reduced sentence.

“We helped make some of Utah’s deer hunters and gun owners aware of the fact that she was expressing extreme prejudice against a lawful activity that many of them engage in,” said N.W. Clayton, spokesman for a group called Gun Owners of Utah.

While the case involved poaching, which is illegal, Lewis said she was prejudiced against “people who kill deer” and recused herself.

“Have you ever actually looked at a deer when they’re alive?” Lewis asked Michael Jacobson during the February hearing.

To fill Lewis’ seat, a 3rd District nominating commission will recommend five candidates to Gov. Jon Huntsman. He will pick one and send the nomination to the Senate.

[Hazcat]

I live in Florida, just look at the Florida Supreme Court. All should be stoned in a public square not just turned out of office

And the idiots here retained every damn one of them!

[Little Bill]

My family were original settlers in Summit and Toole counties, I am not surprised.

[Little Bill]

ping

[rottndog]

...54 percent of voters Tuesday said Judge Leslie Lewis should not be retained, a rare defeat for a sitting jurist.

Good Riddance, you tyrannical b!#ch!

[airborne]

"Have you ever actually looked at a deer when they’re alive?”"

I bet he judge isn't a vegetarian.

I bet he's a hypocrite!

[glock rocks]

I was kind of hoping the voting machine would make a little flushing sound when I pushed the 'no' box on Looney Lewis. It was nonetheless an enjoyable experience.

[subterfuge]

Who, but the hopelessly ignorant, wouldn't agree with that. I voted against every one of them, but noticed that they were all retained in office by huge margins.

Oh yeah, I did my research on the FL SCJ's, talked to friends and family and NO ONE I talked to said they WOULD vote to keep them in office. Yet, they were re-elected by a wide margin. It makes No sense to me.

[CheyennePress]

"Lewis also lectured another guy about how wrong it was to baptize kids under the age of 12 (much older, preferably), said something to the effect that it was brainwashing and that she (the judge) was wronged because she was baptised as a child."

I was baptized at 11 or 12, and I knew that right then and there it was the time. This woman has some very serious issues, and it's good to see her go. How does a woman like this gain ANY power in a place like Utah?

She sounds like she'd be more comfortable in the Bay Area.

[CheyennePress]

"Has she ever looked at a Bean Sprout when it was a alive? Very beautiful!"

My guess is that she would have no idea what a bean plant is from a sqash plant.

I've actually met some city dwellers who complained because our strawberries were too low to the ground and wanted some on larger plants.... *rolls eyes*

[vetsvette]

"It makes No sense to me."

I think that Diebold caused it.

[IC Ken]

“Have you ever actually looked at a deer when they’re alive?” Lewis asked . . .

NO I hunt bindfolded. How can a judge be so freaking dumb..is she blonde (just kidding)

[Little Bill]

You live in the Third District? Damn, if you go to the Summit County Historical Society Web Site, I am a blood relative to 95% of those mentioned there, kind of goes down in Uninta and Duechesne Counties, we tried.

[Little Bill]

You live in the Third District? Damn, if you go to the Summit County Historical Society Web Site, I am a blood relative to 95% of those mentioned there, kind of goes down in Uninta and Duechesne Counties, we tried.

[DManA]

In this state we elect some judges but it's "unethical" to campaign. So they put up lawn signs and that's about it.

It's nuts. I never vote for a judge. I have nothing to base my judgement on.

[BenLurkin]

[July 4th]

Fantastic job, SLC.

[AmishDude]

Sounds like the judge would rather have the deer die of old age, get sick, possibly diseased and suffer a long and painful demise in the wild.

What do they think? Animals live forever?

[GSlob]

"An ignominious end for an underhanded judge. "
"Lewis said she was prejudiced against “people who kill deer” and recused herself."
well, if she recused herself, then at least that part was not underhanded, but open. The sentence reduction thing, though, is underhanded.

[AmishDude]

I don't understand what would motivate someone to vote for a judge. I vote against them all. Maybe I'd be more judicious if there were a chance of ousting a good judge.

[Billthedrill]

“Have you ever actually looked at a deer when they’re alive?”

Why sure. But they're really at their best suspended over a steaming gut pile. By the time they're in freezer-size chunks it's a little hard to get to the aesthetic of the whole thing. IMHO.