Police junior officer gets 8 years for rape

http://www.reporter.bz/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=725&Itemid=2 ^ | 21 October 2005 | Angel Novelo

[ncountylee]

Crispin Jeffries Jr. the son of Assistant Police Commissioner, Crispin Jeffries Sr. has been sentenced to eight years in jail for raping a 20-year old woman in March of last year.

Justice Adolph Lucas sentenced the police constable on Friday last October 14, after hearing mitigation pleas from several character witnesses including Police Commissioner Gerald Westby and the convicted rapist himself.

Westby asked the trial judge to have mercy on the 29-year old police officer, whom he described as a good father.

[ncountylee]

Should have joined the UN peacekeepers.

[PositiveCogins]

Only 8 years. Should have gotten 20 at least. Penalties for police committing crimes, including traffic violations, should be double at the least. If crimes against cops by civilians have enhancements then crimes against civilians by cops should be the same.

[ncountylee]

I agree but police seem to get off easy.

[PAR35]

Belize, f/k/a British Honduras?

[TheCrusader]

"Justice Adolph Lucas sentenced the police constable on Friday last October 14, after hearing mitigation pleas from several character witnesses including Police Commissioner Gerald Westby and the convicted rapist himself."

Can you just hear the Police Commissioner's plea for leniency? "Your honor, I personally know this here convicted rapist, and he's a very good cop".

Message to all would-be rapists. Get your police badge first before raping the women. It will pay off handsomely.

[ncountylee]

Belize, f/k/a British Honduras?

Yes.

[DuhYup]

But your honor, this is the first person my client killed in his/her 25 years of existence, he/she deserves leniency. Or better yet, your honor please take mercy on my parricide client who is an orphan due to the death of his/her parents.

Missus worked at legal office (that defended some very interesting clients) where these were factually based jokes in the 60's.

But your honor my client goes to church every Sunday and is an important member of the church... (BTK killers attorney should have tried that one). Or better yet L.A. Cardinal Mahoney's out: paraphrase "we didn't know that buggering little children was evil in the previous decades."

Terminate the evil doers despite their lawyers glib mitigations!

[DB]

Well the real question is, is there any hard evidence that he did it. The article sure doesn't indicate there's any hard evidence such as DNA.

[PositiveCogins]

I'm always for the benefit of a doubt. So if the evidence was so flimsy that they cut him some slack on sentencing then he should have never be found guilty in the first place. He either did it or he didn't, there's no in-between.

[bdfromlv]

In shakey rape cases there is always the how many yeses led up to no and how many no's really meant no. however if it was an encounter with no probable chance of mutual consenting physical contact he deserves no mercy.

[Old Seadog]

Where did ths take place? In the United States or in Belize?

[Lancey Howard]

Okay. Junior officer, junior sentence. Makes sense.

(Interesting that the headline used the phrase "Police junior officer" - - I never heard of it before.)

[WildTurkey]

I'm always for the benefit of a doubt. So if the evidence was so flimsy that they cut him some slack on sentencing then he should have never be found guilty in the first place. He either did it or he didn't, there's no in-between.

It's a two step process. The jury decides guilt or not-guilty, the judge puts out the sentence.

The judge may have not thought him guilty (unlikely) and gave him the minimum sentence. Remember. One cannot be judge and jury, they are separate entities.

[WildTurkey]

In shakey rape cases there is always the how many yeses led up to no and how many no's really meant no. however if it was an encounter with no probable chance of mutual consenting physical contact he deserves no mercy.

It was a mixed group that went to a motel after some partying. She willingly went into the bedroom alone with him. There rest is his word against hers although there was lots of "indications" that there was at least some rough sex in the room ... I forgot the exact word he used but something akin to 'wrestling' had gon on.

[PositiveCogins]

"no probable chance of mutual consenting physical contact he
deserves no mercy."

Good point. The police have a lot of power over citizens. Something has to exist to police the police. To hold the fuzz in check.

[bdfromlv]

the part about the good father, apparently wasnt home taking care of the happy children or were they out in the car.

[kathsua]

I recently read a good story about some women doctors who really fixed the jerk who raped them so he wouldn't want to rape anyone else.

http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/user_id/reasonmclucus

Click on the story "The Clinic"

[Dark Knight]

After listening to the pleas, Lucas passed the eight-year sentence on Jeffries, but not before reminding him he was the one who set his own trap and should have known when to stop.

Court testimonies revealed Jeffries Jr., the victim and two other couples including an elder sister of the victim had gone to the motel when the rape occurred.Jeffries Jr. denied ever having sex with the woman.

The rape took place at the Diamond Motel on the Northern Highway in Belize City.<<

I have no problem with sentencing a cop, who uses his/her office to effect rapes to life in prison. It appears that a few couples went to a motel VOLUNTARILY. Force or compulsion was not asserted.

It reminds me of the juvenile case where the girl had sex with one of two juvenile males, the second was engaging her in another act, and she decides to say no. It took a minute for him to realize she said no, and he stopped.

He was convicted of rape.

This case has a lot of unanswered questions. But it occured in Belize, out of our country. The real story will not be known.

So in the mean time, what do you propose in the US, to keep cop's fuzzy things in check?

DK

;)