Man Sentenced for a Rape 32 Years Later

The New York Times ^ | November 29, 2005 | By JULIA PRESTON

[aculeus]

With a sense of satisfaction that she said she had never before expressed so openly in court, a state judge sentenced a man to the maximum prison term yesterday for raping a woman at knifepoint in Manhattan 32 years ago. And the woman he raped was allowed to tell her attacker what she thought of him, calling him a "violent, rabid beast."

The moment of catharsis and satisfaction for the victim, Kathleen Ham, and the judge, Bonnie G. Wittner, came at the sentencing of Fletcher Anderson Worrell in State Supreme Court in Manhattan. On Nov. 9, a jury convicted him of raping Ms. Ham in a studio apartment in Chelsea on June 26, 1973. It was the second time Mr. Worrell had been tried in the same courthouse for the crime; the first trial, in 1974, ended in a hung jury.

Justice Wittner sentenced Mr. Worrell, 59, to 15 1/3 to 46 years in prison for rape and first-degree robbery. Before she pronounced the sentence, she spoke with a candor that she said was a break with her own custom of discretion on the bench.

*** Snip ***

Mr. Worrell is facing sexual assault charges in another 1970's case in Queens, and has been linked by DNA analysis to at least 21 other rapes in New Jersey and in Maryland, where the authorities charge that he is the man they call the Silver Spring rapist.

In her statement, Ms. Ham told the judge about the first trial. "That thing," she said, indicating Mr. Worrell with only the slightest nod of her head, "and his attorney accused me of being his whore, and said he was my pimp, and said we tussled over money."

[aculeus]

his attorney accused me of being his whore, and said he was my pimp, and said we tussled over money."

Oh come on, lady, the lawyer was just doing his sacred duty.

(/sarcasm)

... while she was being "castigated and debased" by Mr. Worrell's lawyer, George C. Sena.

[doug from upland]

Gee, I remember a rape back in Arkansas in the late '70s. Unfortunately, their statute of limitations is much shorter.

[exit82]

Not to worry. A little ice on the lips goes a long way./s/

[somemoreequalthanothers]

Hence my choice of screen name, Doug.

[JamesP81]

With a sense of satisfaction that she said she had never before expressed so openly in court, a state judge sentenced a man to the maximum prison term yesterday for raping a woman at knifepoint in Manhattan 32 years ago. And the woman he raped was allowed to tell her attacker what she thought of him, calling him a "violent, rabid beast."

It's good that this guy got put away, but some of the actions by the judge are disturbing. There is a trend in this nation to introduce emotion into a court of law, where it has no place. To allow such unchecked emotion in an open court room is a mockery of what remains of our justice system. At least in this case, the badguy got put away, but when judges start allowing displays like this in a court of law I fear for our justice system, and by extension, everyone who is a citizen of this country.

[Zeppo]

Maybe so, but I'll bet that that headline in the NY Times causes Billy Boy at least a few moments of deep concern... I can imagine the she-beast waving it in his face in the same manner that she once held aloft the newspaper with the "Bush Knew" headline (about 9-11)...

[the invisib1e hand]

just gots to wonder how many of the after the fact (by years and years) convictions is just. have my doubts.

coming soon: convictions for forefathers.

[AntiGuv]

Bear in mind that he had already been charged and tried way back in the mid 70s, which resulted in a hung jury. The statute of limitations is ordinarily the limit before which proceedings can begin, not a limit after which they cannot be resumed and concluded..

[aculeus]

You missed this? ...

Mr. Worrell is facing sexual assault charges in another 1970's case in Queens, and has been linked by DNA analysis to at least 21 other rapes in New Jersey and in Maryland, where the authorities charge that he is the man they call the Silver Spring rapist.

[doug from upland]

You are absoutely correct. It would have helped for me to read the whole article, huh?

[aculeus]

There is a trend in this nation to introduce emotion into a court of law, where it has no place.

Right. And let's give a bright shiny medal to this lawyer-boy ...

"That thing," she said, indicating Mr. Worrell with only the slightest nod of her head, "and his attorney accused me of being his whore, and said he was my pimp, and said we tussled over money."

[Onelifetogive]

There is a trend in this nation to introduce emotion into a court of law, where it has no place.

I agree. It has always bothered me that victim's family members get to testify about their loss and pain. There is NO right to murder someone in this country, EVEN if the person is a JERK and NO ONE will miss them....

[joem15]

Sometimes it feels good when guys with 3 names "Fletcher Anderson Worrell" get nailed. Hey Fletch, have fun in prison impressing your fellow inmates with your 3 names.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

I wonder if this judge had expressed some other, non-PC emotion whether there would be a civil lawsuit trying to get this case thrown out. It's acceptable, to the Left, so long as it is a PC outburst -- like those you see on just about every law/crime show on the MSM. The perp is almost always a white male and at the end of the show is reduced to a blubbering pile of jelly by some authority figure.

[GladesGuru]

No! No! NO!

The tusseling over money was between the client and the lawyer, not the rapist.

Lawyers will be lawyers.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Justice system? No sir, we have a system of laws, justice was misplaced some time ago.

[JamesP81]

Good point. And I really like your tagline.