Posted on 07/19/2006 12:56:48 PM PDT by DBeers
VISTA -- A former Escondido middle school teacher -- denounced by victims' families as a predator and praised by his family and friends as a decent man who would never harm children ---- was sentenced Tuesday to 15 years to life in state prison.
Peter Thomas Ziskin, 44, of Solana Beach was convicted in May of 17 of the 26 child molestation charges prosecutors had filed against him. Ziskin was acquitted of six of the charges, and jurors were unable to reach a verdict on three counts.
The charges involved allegations that Ziskin fondled nine male students, some repeatedly, while roughhousing with them between September 2004 and January 2005 on the campus of Rincon Middle School. He also was accused of trying to molest the son of a longtime friend.
The charges of which jurors convicted Ziskin were related to eight of the Rincon students. Jurors cleared Ziskin on charges involving the ninth student and the son of Ziskin's friend.
A longtime substitute teacher for a number of North County school districts, Ziskin was in his first year as a full-time teacher at Rincon when an aide reported that she had seen him with his hand down the pants of a male student.
That prompted a police investigation that resulted in at least a dozen alleged victims. Ziskin's supporters claimed investigators asked suggestive questions, leading the students to believe they had been molested.
Ziskin's attorney, Don Levine, said in court Tuesday that he will file a notice of Ziskin's intent to appeal the case.
Thomas Cleary, one of Ziskin's friends, said in court Tuesday that close to 100 people volunteered to testify on Ziskin's behalf at his trial and that decent people do not rally to support a depraved or guilty person.
"He's a decent man with an optimistic perspective on life and nothing but good in his heart," Cleary said of Ziskin.
Ziskin's sisters described him as "committed to service and the well-being of others," citing as examples Ziskin helping his niece at the University of Colorado, encouraging and comforting his nephew in the hospital, and caring for his ailing parents.
"The real Peter Ziskin would never try to harm any of his students," Ziskin's sister, Barbara Gray, said.
However, harm them is exactly what Ziskin did, a prosecutor and relatives of some of the students said in court.
"His crimes were the ultimate betrayal of a position of trust," Deputy District Attorney Tracy Prior said. "School is safe. School is a second home. And school is off limits to sexual deviants."
The father of one of the victims said Ziskin was the "cool teacher," but abused those who trusted him, turning a parent's greatest fear into reality.
"You have sexually abused our children," the father said.
With short, black hair and wearing eyeglasses and a blue jail jumpsuit, Ziskin sat up straight in his chair but showed little expression as he looked at the relatives of the boys who spoke in court Tuesday. After the hearing, he appeared to look toward his family and friends as sheriff's deputies led him out of the courtroom in shackles.
Superior Court Judge Timothy Casserly told a packed courtroom Tuesday morning that he had never seen a person convicted of child molestation charges receive as much support as Ziskin had, including an inch-thick stack of letters Casserly received from people asking him to set aside Ziskin's convictions or give Ziskin a minimal sentence.
Casserly said he could not set aside the jury's verdict because there "was sufficient, credible evidence to support" the jury's decision.
Casserly also said state law did not leave to him the discretion to decide what sentence to impose. The minimum sentence required by law was 15 years to life in prison, Casserly said.
"I do not get to pick the sentence I think is appropriate for this case," Casserly said.
Although Casserly said 15 years to life in prison in Ziskin's case is "extremely harsh," he added that he could not say that it was unconstitutionally cruel and unusual punishment as Ziskin's attorney had argued.
Casserly said in court that he encourages state parole officials to consider his comments in deciding how soon to set a parole date for Ziskin.
Outside the courtroom after the hearing, Ziskin's supporters expressed to the news media frustration at the outcome of the case as sheriff's deputies from the courtroom stood nearby, at one point urging them to keep their voices down because other courtrooms were in session.
"The judge wanted to give him a lesser sentence," Cleary said. "His hands were tied."
Yes. As long as she was at least semi-hot. Sheesh. Fry the bastard.
I wasn't the only FReeper to be shocked a couple months ago when Michael Medved supported the double standard by saying that Male-teacher/Female-student was the most harmful relationship in the 4 possible pairings.
It is especially off base when you consider how many 13 year old boys suddenly become fathers when the teacher decides to carry the lovechild to term.
Molestation by a member of the same sex also leaves deep scars and is a violation of a social trust.
Too bad he wasn't pretty.
He's called an ex-teacher because at the time he was sentenced he was indeed an ex-teacher.
One charge would have been enough...but 26?
Why was this moved to General/Chat?
I missed pinging this one out.
Harsh? So teachers molesting children is a minor mistake, a misdemeanor maybe? Or just a character quirk? No biggie?
Are you out of your mind?
Chat? It's a regular newspaper with a legitimate news article.
These are MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS.
BTW, what do you think is a good age for young people to legally be able to consent to sex? 10? 12? 14? 16? 18?
Come on, be honest.
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