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Man who raped four teenagers gets no jail time, judge says: 'Incarceration isn't appropriate'
The Washington Post via SF Gate ^ | November 17, 2021 | by Timothy Bella

Posted on 11/18/2021 10:31:48 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

A New York man who pleaded guilty to rape and sexual abuse for assaulting four teenage girls during parties at his parents' home will not face jail time after a judge on Tuesday sentenced him to eight years probation.

Niagara County Court Judge Matthew Murphy said he "agonized" over the case of 20-year-old Christopher Belter, who was accused of committing the crimes when he was 16 or 17. Belter pleaded guilty in 2019 to a series of felony charges that included third-degree rape and attempted first-degree sexual abuse, as well as two misdemeanor charges of second-degree sexual abuse.

Although Belter faced a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, Murphy concluded that jail time for the man "would be inappropriate" in a ruling that shocked the courtroom.

Steven Cohen, an attorney for one of the victims, denounced the judge's sentencing, saying to reporters on Tuesday, "Justice was not done here." He told The Washington Post on Wednesday that his client, who was joined by some of the other victims in the courtroom, was "deeply disappointed" in the sentencing.

"My client threw up in the ladies room following the sentencing," Cohen said. "If Chris Belter was not a White defendant from a rich and influential family, in my experience . . . he would surely have been sentenced to prison."

Barry Covert, Belter's attorney, declined to comment. After the sentencing was handed down, the defense attorney told reporters that Belter regretted what he did as a teen.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: affluenza; christopherbelter; judiciary; justice; race; rape; rapist; travesty
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The judge didn’t “agonize” nearly as much as the victims did!


21 posted on 11/18/2021 10:43:06 AM PST by Bob434
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

I wonder if the victims can sue the judge for adding to their trauma by coddling the criminal?


22 posted on 11/18/2021 10:43:51 AM PST by Bob434
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Judges in New York are appointed by the governor, then rubber stamped by the state senate.


23 posted on 11/18/2021 10:44:36 AM PST by Paleo Conservative ( )
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

So,there were 4 victims whose ,ives have been forever changed for the worse because of this criminal, which means he only gets a possibility of 2 years prison for each offense, meanwhile the shaman who howled in the Capitol building and hurt NO-ONE gets 4 years In Prison


24 posted on 11/18/2021 10:46:13 AM PST by Bob434
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

He might have been safer had the judge given him a minimal prison sentence. Men will be men when it comes to protecting their daughters.


25 posted on 11/18/2021 10:46:59 AM PST by Savage Rider
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

This happened when the assailant was 16 or 17 years old. So I would not expect him to have the emotional maturity of an adult which should mitigate to a small extent his actions. But not to the point of avoiding any prison sentence at all.

His mother, stepfather, and a family friend were the instigators, from the article,

“The “party house” label at Belter’s family home was fueled by his mother, Tricia Vacanti, now 50; his stepfather, Gary Sullo, 56; and Jessica M. Long, 42, a family friend, who allegedly supplied teen girls with alcohol and marijuana, according to state police. The three adults, who police say helped groom the women for sexual assaults by Belter, have pleaded not guilty in Lewiston Town Court to misdemeanor charges of child endangerment and unlawfully dealing with a child. None of them returned requests for comment on Wednesday.”

If anyone besides Belter belongs in prison for a long time it is the adults who set up the girls.

I also have to wonder how the girls’ parents did not have any idea that Belter’s was a so called party house?


26 posted on 11/18/2021 10:48:02 AM PST by lastchance (Credo.)
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To: Bob434

I doubt it. But the victims can still probably sue Belter and his parents in civil court.


27 posted on 11/18/2021 10:49:12 AM PST by lastchance (Credo.)
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To: Bob434

If therapist comes from a wealthy family they ought to take him to the cleaners in civil court.


28 posted on 11/18/2021 10:49:18 AM PST by bigbob
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

A friend remarked that one or two of the dads might accost him for one reason or other. Just repeating.


29 posted on 11/18/2021 10:49:50 AM PST by SkyDancer (Let's Go Brandon!)
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To: billyboy15

The first few pages of the Mario Puzo novel “The Godfather” comes to mind...

If I was the Dad of one of these girls, my life would have a new purpose.


30 posted on 11/18/2021 10:55:13 AM PST by L,TOWM (An upraised middle finger is my virtue signal.)
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To: L,TOWM

“If I was the Dad of one of these girls, my life would have a new purpose.”

Ditto.


31 posted on 11/18/2021 10:56:37 AM PST by billyboy15
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Would Vendome’s version of a just and proper punishment be “Appropriate”?

I would chain his hands and legs, then pull him up four flights of metal fire escape stairs, feet first.

Then I would kicked him in the family jewels just enough to cause a stomach ache every 15 minutes for 8 hours.

After that I would push him out a window letting him fall four stories into a pile of razor wire 5 rolls high and 5 rolls wide.

He could lay in the pile of razor wire for two days in the desert sun and then I would release a flock of crows and 1 gallon of scarabs right next to him.

Everyone’s mileage varies...


32 posted on 11/18/2021 10:58:29 AM PST by Vendome (I've Gotta Be Me https://youtu.be/wH-pk2vZG2M)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

I see a long deep ocean future for this rapist.


33 posted on 11/18/2021 11:01:13 AM PST by Mastador1
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To: Bob434

HAHAHAHAHA

MAYBE you could sue a judge if he was drunk, was heard by 5 witnesses as he yelled at your granny “I’mm gonna kill ya you bi-—h!” and then run her down after driving onto the sidewalk, but there is no basis in law (starting to see the scam) for suing a judge or court for malpractice...

Perhaps a recall or impeachment process exists in this jurisdiction and good luck with that!

An attorney told me that the closest example he could come up with in his mind to a God was a judge in an American Courtroom; able to do whatever they wanted in that space with no accountability at all. He was an avowed atheist.


34 posted on 11/18/2021 11:06:40 AM PST by L,TOWM (An upraised middle finger is my virtue signal.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

It is not about race but about money. Sounds like they bought or intimidated the judge.


35 posted on 11/18/2021 11:16:58 AM PST by EastTexasTraveler
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To: billyboy15

My take as well. Anyone does something like that to my granddaughters will pay and government will be the least of their worries.


36 posted on 11/18/2021 11:18:31 AM PST by subterfuge (RIP T.P.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Judges just continues to shock the minds of society with their lack of empathy for these innocent victims in favor of the low life criminals putting them back out on the streets to continue their crimes against society. These judges need to be branded for what they are, criminals aiding and abetting other criminals.


37 posted on 11/18/2021 11:26:42 AM PST by Ron H.
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

A situation easily & properly resolved by the parents and relatives of the raped teenagers... ASAP...


38 posted on 11/18/2021 11:32:50 AM PST by SuperLuminal (Where is another Sam Adams now that we desperately need him?)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
'Incarceration isn't appropriate'

How about castration?

39 posted on 11/18/2021 11:44:03 AM PST by Jess Kitting
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The defendant lacked horns and makeup.


40 posted on 11/18/2021 11:47:05 AM PST by Brian Griffin ( )
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