Teen (rape) victim rejects Woolsey's apology (

Marin Independent Journal ^ | 2/15/04 | Jennifer Golan

[Lijahsbubbe]

When he was doing what he did to me, he thought he had control,'' Phan said. "But I control his life now. He humiliated himself, his whole family. He has ruined his whole life. At the sentencing, I can tell the judge everything I think should happen to him. Rape is about control, and now I'm the one in control.''

This girl just makes too much sense! I wish every rape victim could read this. It is about control, power and humiliation, and I only wish each victim had the same opportunity (and courage) as Tina to turn the tables.

[Poodlebrain]

"I believe that Woolsey's story is that she was once on welfare, and she believed that qualified her to serve in Congress. Her district agreed and seent her there. I would much prefer to see her back on welfare and as far from Washington D. C. as possible."

Isn't being a member of Congress the ultimate form of public assistance? What exactly has she done to repay society for providing her with an income?

[xm177e2]

The letter, sent a month before Pearson's sentencing, said Pearson "is a young man from a supportive family," and that Pearson had volunteered for Woolsey and local nonprofit agencies.

Translation: he might be a rapist, but he's so much more, he's also a Democrat with a heart of gold. </barf> Get the rope.

P.S.: What a strong, brave girl.

[archy]

Lynn Woolsey is just another weepy Liberal hero who thinks criminals are just misunderstood victims of society and who feels her mission in life is setting the rest of us straight (sic).

This promotes rape:

[archy]

This admirable, brave young lady does not deserve to be represented by the likes of Lynne Woolsey, D-Petaluma. The rapist said he had done the same thing before and would do it again as he was raping this young teen.

The plot thickens: it turns out the rapist is the son of an employee in Woolsey's office, per following:

Woolsey apologizes after seeking lenient sentence for rapist

Congresswoman wrote to Marin judge on behalf of son of staff member

February 10, 2004

By SPENCER SOPER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Rep. Lynn Woolsey sought a lenient sentence for a convicted rapist who is the son of one of her staffers, igniting a political firestorm over the weekend.

The Petaluma Democrat quickly apologized after a Marin County newspaper reported she intervened on behalf of Stewart Pearson, who pleaded guilty last fall to raping a 17-year-old Terra Linda girl and covering her face with a rag soaked in household chemicals in an attempt to incapacitate her.

Pearson, 20, had volunteered on Woolsey's campaign and is the son of an employee in the congresswoman's San Rafael office.

"Stewart Pearson is a young man from a supportive family," Woolsey wrote in a Dec. 2 letter on congressional stationery to Marin County Superior Court Judge Terrence Boren one month before Pearson was sentenced. "I believe he has a promising life ahead of him, and I urge you to consider these factors when deciding upon a suitable sentence."

The letter was signed, "Lynn Woolsey, Member of Congress."

Pearson pleaded guilty to rape in September in a deal that dropped other charges, including assault and sodomy. Woolsey's intervention did nothing to sway the judge, who sentenced Pearson in January to eight years in state prison, the maximum allowed under law.

The attempt to influence the court outraged a Marin County deputy district attorney who prosecuted the case.

The assault was "as bad as it gets," prosecutor Alan Charmatz told the Marin Independent Journal in a story published Saturday.

"It's hard to imagine that after someone has committed a brutal crime like that they (Woolsey's office) would want to write a letter," Charmatz said.

Woolsey issued a statement over the weekend apologizing for the letter.

"Mr. Pearson's mother is a faithful employee, who I wanted to help, but I should not have intervened," Woolsey said.

"Given my support for both women's rights and victims' rights, my constituents and my community are right to be shocked by my action. I apologize to them. But most of all I apologize to the young woman and her family.

"I apologize for making a horrible situation worse, and I am sorry that they have been forced to relive this heinous crime by reading about it in the newspaper, again."

Woolsey is seeking her seventh term in the 6th Congressional District, which includes Marin and most of Sonoma County. A liberal in the left-leaning North Bay, she is considered the heavy favorite to win the Democratic primary in March and re-election in November.

Gloria Young, executive director of the Santa Rosa rape crisis center United Against Sexual Assault, expressed disappointment that Woolsey was trying to help a rapist when his teen victim "will live with the memory of this attack for the rest of her life."

The news was especially troubling because Woolsey has always had a "pro-feminine, anti-violence agenda," Young said.

"My disappointment was that she was intervening on behalf of someone who was convicted of raping a 17-year-old girl and it was a very brutal rape," Young said, adding she was glad to hear Woolsey has apologized.

San Rafael Police Lt. Jeff Franzini said Pearson and the victim were acquaintances. Pearson spent the night on the victim's sofa last July and sneaked into her bedroom in the morning while she was sleeping, Franzini said.

Pearson tried to incapacitate the teen by covering her face with a rag soaked in chemicals and then forcibly raped her when that failed, Franzini said.

On Monday, Marin District Attorney Paula Kamena issued a statement, saying, "Accessibility and openness is at the core of the court process. An interested party should be able to express their opinion. It is a personal choice as to whether a person would do this on an informed or uninformed basis."

Two of Woolsey's political opponents accused her of misusing her office.

Mill Valley communications consultant Renn Vara, who is challenging Woolsey for the Democratic nomination in the March 2 primary, said it was "terribly inappropriate" for Woolsey to use her office to try to benefit a convicted criminal because it was her employee's son.

"My concern overall is that she let a letter like that go out," Vara said, adding he was pleased Woolsey apologized. "It's just another example of her being asleep at the wheel."

Paul Erickson, a Santa Rosa real estate appraiser who is running unopposed for the Republican nomination, said he could understand why Woolsey wanted to help her employee's son, but she should not have used her congressional office to do it.

"She represents a lot of people," he said. "I can't imagine any of them agree with her on that letter."

News researcher Teresa Meikle contributed to this story. You can reach Staff Writer Spencer Soper at 521-5257 or ssoper@pressdemocrat.com.

[FBD]

bump this

[FBD]

bttt

[FBD]

Your tax dollars at work.

Meek, please ping this article:

---

{SNIP}:

"Using her official congressional stationery, Woolsey sent a letter dated Dec. 2 to Marin Superior Court Judge Terrence Boren, saying Pearson had a "promising life ahead of him." Pearson's mother is an aide in Woolsey's office.

The letter, sent a month before Pearson's sentencing, said Pearson "is a young man from a supportive family," and that Pearson had volunteered for Woolsey and local nonprofit agencies.

But last Sunday, after an Independent Journal story about Woolsey's letter, the congresswoman apologized to Phan in a brief written statement given to the IJ.

Stewart Pearson pleaded guilty last Sept. 11 to raping Phan in July 2003. Phan awoke as Pearson tried to knock her unconscious by smothering her face with a rag soaked in household chemicals. He then raped her, according to court records."

[MeekOneGOP]

Your tax dollars at work. Meek, please ping this article.

California Democrat goes to bat for rapist (see article and post #49 excerpt).

Teen (rape) victim rejects Woolsey's apology

Excerpt:

Stewart Pearson pleaded guilty last Sept. 11 to raping Phan in July 2003. Phan awoke as Pearson tried to knock her unconscious by smothering her face with a rag soaked in household chemicals. He then raped her, according to court records.

Phan testified that Pearson, whom she had known since middle school, said he had done the same thing before - and that he intended to do the same thing again.

Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my General Interest ping list!. . .don't be shy.

[Grampa Dave]

Now we know why the left wing lunatic Woolsey supported this rapist.

He and his mother worked for Woolsey:

Using her official congressional stationery, Woolsey sent a letter dated Dec. 2 to Marin Superior Court Judge Terrence Boren, saying Pearson had a "promising life ahead of him." Pearson's mother is an aide in Woolsey's office.

The letter, sent a month before Pearson's sentencing, said Pearson "is a young man from a supportive family," and that Pearson had volunteered for Woolsey and local nonprofit agencies.

[Grampa Dave]

The story in the link below shows that this was a violent and premeditated rape by this scumbag!

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/local/news/10woolsey_a1.html

The Press Democrat: Print a Story
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/local/news/10woolsey_a1.html
© The Press Democrat. For copyright information visit our User Agreement page at
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/services/agreement.html

1>Woolsey apologizes after seeking lenient sentence for rapist

Congresswoman wrote to Marin judge on behalf of son of staff member

February 10, 2004


By SPENCER SOPER THE PRESS DEMOCRAT






Rep. Lynn Woolsey sought a lenient sentence for a convicted rapist who is the son of one of her staffers, igniting a political firestorm over the weekend.


The Petaluma Democrat quickly apologized after a Marin County newspaper reported she intervened on behalf of Stewart Pearson, who pleaded guilty last fall to raping a 17-year-old Terra Linda girl and covering her face with a rag soaked in household chemicals in an attempt to incapacitate her.


Pearson, 20, had volunteered on Woolsey's campaign and is the son of an employee in the congresswoman's San Rafael office.


"Stewart Pearson is a young man from a supportive family," Woolsey wrote in a Dec. 2 letter on congressional stationery to Marin County Superior Court Judge Terrence Boren one month before Pearson was sentenced. "I believe he has a promising life ahead of him, and I urge you to consider these factors when deciding upon a suitable sentence."


The letter was signed, "Lynn Woolsey, Member of Congress."


Pearson pleaded guilty to rape in September in a deal that dropped other charges, including assault and sodomy. Woolsey's intervention did nothing to sway the judge, who sentenced Pearson in January to eight years in state prison, the maximum allowed under law.


The attempt to influence the court outraged a Marin County deputy district attorney who prosecuted the case.


The assault was "as bad as it gets," prosecutor Alan Charmatz told the Marin Independent Journal in a story published Saturday.


"It's hard to imagine that after someone has committed a brutal crime like that they (Woolsey's office) would want to write a letter," Charmatz said.


Woolsey issued a statement over the weekend apologizing for the letter.


"Mr. Pearson's mother is a faithful employee, who I wanted to help, but I should not have intervened," Woolsey said.


"Given my support for both women's rights and victims' rights, my constituents and my community are right to be shocked by my action. I apologize to them. But most of all I apologize to the young woman and her family.


"I apologize for making a horrible situation worse, and I am sorry that they have been forced to relive this heinous crime by reading about it in the newspaper, again."


Woolsey is seeking her seventh term in the 6th Congressional District, which includes Marin and most of Sonoma County. A liberal in the left-leaning North Bay, she is considered the heavy favorite to win the Democratic primary in March and re-election in November.


Gloria Young, executive director of the Santa Rosa rape crisis center United Against Sexual Assault, expressed disappointment that Woolsey was trying to help a rapist when his teen victim "will live with the memory of this attack for the rest of her life."


The news was especially troubling because Woolsey has always had a "pro-feminine, anti-violence agenda," Young said.


"My disappointment was that she was intervening on behalf of someone who was convicted of raping a 17-year-old girl and it was a very brutal rape," Young said, adding she was glad to hear Woolsey has apologized.


San Rafael Police Lt. Jeff Franzini said Pearson and the victim were acquaintances. Pearson spent the night on the victim's sofa last July and sneaked into her bedroom in the morning while she was sleeping, Franzini said.


Pearson tried to incapacitate the teen by covering her face with a rag soaked in chemicals and then forcibly raped her when that failed, Franzini said.


On Monday, Marin District Attorney Paula Kamena issued a statement, saying, "Accessibility and openness is at the core of the court process. An interested party should be able to express their opinion. It is a personal choice as to whether a person would do this on an informed or uninformed basis."


Two of Woolsey's political opponents accused her of misusing her office.


Mill Valley communications consultant Renn Vara, who is challenging Woolsey for the Democratic nomination in the March 2 primary, said it was "terribly inappropriate" for Woolsey to use her office to try to benefit a convicted criminal because it was her employee's son.


"My concern overall is that she let a letter like that go out," Vara said, adding he was pleased Woolsey apologized. "It's just another example of her being asleep at the wheel."


Paul Erickson, a Santa Rosa real estate appraiser who is running unopposed for the Republican nomination, said he could understand why Woolsey wanted to help her employee's son, but she should not have used her congressional office to do it.


"She represents a lot of people," he said. "I can't imagine any of them agree with her on that letter."


News researcher Teresa Meikle contributed to this story. You can reach Staff Writer Spencer Soper at 521-5257 or ssoper@pressdemocrat.com.

[BlessedByLiberty]

He told Ms. Phan as he was committing the rape that he would do it again.

I wonder if Woolsey fully understands the horrific context of her pleas to the judge: "..."I believe he has a promising life ahead of him..." when put in context with what the rapist said to his teenage victim?

As I said earlier Woolsey also defended Clinton. We fully understand her concepts of crime and punishment.

[Grampa Dave]

The liberal NOW hags in Marin love this phoney. They wouldn't let anything like a violent rape committed by the son of an employee with character references from Woolsey stop them from voting for her.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[AuntB]

I've decided that these congress critters do NOT live in our world.