Posted on 03/18/2006 6:36:58 AM PST by Diago
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Sex offender sentencing puts judge on hot seatO'Reilly show targets Columbus case
Friday, March 17, 2006
T.C. Brown Plain Dealer BureauColumbus - Franklin County Judge John Connor is the Columbus Shamrock Club's Irishman of the Year, but his name is mud in much of the rest of the town, if not the country. Connor sits at the center of a national fire storm over his lenient sen tence for a child sex offender, with conserva tive cable TV host Bill O'Reilly fanning the flames of outrage. Adding fuel to the fire is Connor's history of drunken-driving convictions. State Republican politicians are falling all over themselves to call for the removal of Connor, a Democratic Common Pleas judge. In an odd twist, the sex offender, Andrew Selva, contributed thousands to some of those same politicians' political campaigns, and those of Democrats, according to state records. Selva, 46, was initially indicted on 20 counts of rape for sexually assaulting two boys for more than three years. A different judge dismissed that indictment in 2004 because of errors. Prosecutors, instead of seeking a new indictment, opted for a plea agreement. Selva, of nearby Hilliard, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual battery, which can carry a sentence of up to five years, although jail time is not mandatory. Connor sentenced Selva to five years' probation in December, including one year of house arrest with electronic monitoring, and a continuation of sexual offender counseling. When Selva's neighbors found him in the neighborhood recently, they contacted the Justice League of Ohio, a victims' rights group, and the controversy mushroomed. Connor, 65, whose term expires in 2010, said Thursday he will not step down nor will he miss Columbus' St. Patrick's Day parade. "I'm marching with a bunch of good Irishmen," Connor said. "I'll be protected." Psychologists testified that Selva was making progress in counseling and that it was not likely he would reoffend. Furthermore, if Selva went to prison, he would not receive treatment. He is being treated in Cincinnati now, Connor said. "I think I did protect the public and I did fulfill my duties in that respect," Connor said. "People screaming for jail are misguided. I guess it's revenge." When prosecutors reached a plea deal, they did not recommend a sentence, said Ron Welch, a former assistant Franklin County prosecutor. But court transcripts show that prosecutors did ask for prison time during Selva's sentencing. Pressure continues to mount for Connor's removal. Since Wednesday, Gov. Bob Taft's office received nearly 300 calls and 6,000 e-mails about Connor, likely due to a link on O'Reilly's Web site, said Taft spokesman Mark Rickel. Taft urged lawmakers to start impeachment proceedings, a process that the House of Representatives will examine, said Speaker Jon Husted. Connor said it is unbelievable that the legislature would try to remove him for a ruling. "Every judge in the state should be worried and scared if they are able to do that," Connor said. That view found some support from Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Moyer, a Republican. "We need to be very cautious before embarking on a course of action that may have the unintended consequence of causing judges to fear retribution from the legislative and executive branches whenever they are dissatisfied with the outcome of a particular case," Moyer said in a statement. "This type of atmosphere could seriously damage the impartiality of the courts." Lawmakers are quickly drafting bills calling for a mandatory prison sentence for those convicted of the sexual battery of anyone 13 or younger. Though he has no authority to act, Attorney General Jim Petro, who is running for governor, appeared on O'Reilly's show Wednesday and spoke to a local group of protesters Thursday. GOP candidates for attorney general, Auditor Betty Montgomery and State Sen. Tim Grendell of Chester Township, also weighed in. Records show that Selva gave $1,000 to Taft in 1997. In 2001 and 2002, Selva gave $2,250 to Petro, who has given the money to charity. Selva gave $1,725 to Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, who is also running for governor. Selva gave $1,825 to Montgomery in 1994 and $8,500 in the late 1990s to Lee Fisher, the former attorney general and current running mate of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ted Strickland. Connor was publicly reprimanded in 1984 when he was a lawyer after a drunken-driving arrest and a cocaine possession charge. Connor was also arrested and convicted of drunken driving in 1999 and again in 2002, for which the Ohio Supreme Court put aside a suspension of his law license. Records show three other drunken driving arrests before he became a judge, but those charges were reduced or dismissed. Connor said he has been sober since 2002. Connor, honored at the Irishman of the Year party last week, told attendees that he would not drink because he was allergic to alcohol, said Pat Byrne, former president of the Shamrock Club. "Whenever I drink, I break out in handcuffs," Byrne quoted Connor as saying. Plain Dealer news researcher Cheryl Diamond contributed to this report. To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: tcbrown@plaind.com, 1-800-228-8272
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Hey, tut! I'm thinking this madness may never end...unless we continue to speak up to our legislators about what BS this is...and even then, will they listen and do something about it?
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Another Freeper upthread had the right idea..
The judges that let the molestor go free should be charged the same crime these sex offendors get when another repeat crime is committed. And the death penalty would be very appropriate!
Thanks for the ping. There's no excuse for what this clown of a judge has done.
"Every judge in the state should be worried and scared if they are able to do that," Connor said.
It is long past time for such judges to be "worried and scared." At the very least.
What kind of justice do those boys get? Their plight isn't even mentioned in the press.
Work to pass Jessica's Law in your state. We can do this!
O'Reilly's website has about the best breakdown on current efforts across the country. Check it out:
http://www.billoreilly.com/outragefunnels;jsessionid=C1AD80BF42F590AC45D1FEE1D28F5DEA
I tend to agree with you. Children look to adults for protection. They are the most innocent, and the most vulnerable among us. If society fails to protect them, their future is in peril, and so is the nations. They ARE the future.
Frankly, IMO that's why the lefties want to indoctrinate them, they know they are the future. If they mess thenm up, their agenda will take over. It's time for us and our government via the laws, realized it too.
"NO, JUDGE, it's called "penalty," "the price you pay," "why there are laws..." The people aren't misguided. You're seriously out of line when you don't punish sexual offenders. Earn your pay or step aside. "
That's bout the size of it. Punishment is partly to punish and partly to remove those who cannot function in society, and those who are a detriment to society, from society.
Yes, the procecutors are equally at fault, if not more so.
people who'll say anything for a buck...or I should say a bunch of bucks!!!
The governor does not appoint our judges here, they are voted in by the voters. Connor was re-elected in 2004. My guess is that most of the populace here forgot all about those DUIs he had, or else they didn't think it would make a difference in his decisions on the bench. Big mistake. I believe that there are plenty of people (mostly Dems, I'm guessing) that are feeling pretty unhappy with themselves for casting a ballot for him instead of his opponent.
It may take a while, but I think the people are mad enough to get Connor out of office. Like you said, we need to just stick with it. Unfortunately, it's something neither the people nor the elected leaders are good at doing.
And the sad thing is those poor boys will probably end up in jail as adults because of what happened to them by that sick [censored]. That judge has got to go. Treatment? Hmm. How about "treating" him to the general population in the prison.
I pray that does not happen.
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