Posted on 01/06/2006 6:30:56 AM PST by NYer
Claiming he no longer believes in punishment, a Vermont judge issued a 60-day sentence to a man who confessed to repeatedly raping a girl over a four-year period, beginning when she was 7 years old.
Judge Edward Cashman disagreed with prosecutors who thought Mark Hulett, 34, of Williston, Vt., deserved eight to 20 years in prison, reported WCAX-TV in Burlington, Vt.
Cashman said he's more concerned now about rehabilitation.
"The one message I want to get through is that anger doesn't solve anything. It just corrodes your soul," Cashman told a packed Burlington courtroom made up mostly of people related to the victim.
Prior to the decision, Chittenden Deputy Prosecutor Nicole Andreson argued punishment "is a valid purpose."
"The state recognizes that the court may not agree or subscribe to that method of sentencing but the state does," she said, according to the Burlington TV station. "The state thinks that it is a very important factor for the court to consider."
Cashman said he wants to make sure Hulett gets sex-offender treatment.
Under Department of Corrections classification, however, Hulett is considered a low-risk for re-offense, which means he doesn't qualify for in-prison treatment.
Cashman, therefore, issued a 60-day sentence and ordered Hulett to complete sex-treatment when he gets out or face a possible life sentence.
The judge said that when he began 25 years ago, he handed down tough sentences but now believes "it accomplishes nothing of value."
"It doesn't make anything better; it costs us a lot of money; we create a lot of expectation, and we feed on anger," Cashman explained to the people in the court, WCAX reported.
Members of the victim's family were outraged.
"I don't like it," the victim's mother told the TV station, in tears. "He should pay for what he did to my baby and stop it here. She's not even home with me and he can be home for all this time, and do what he did in my house."
Bad handling of this deal.
Rape the judge for four years and then see if he gets the idea about the importance of punishment.
"...a man who confessed to repeatedly raping a girl over a four-year period, beginning when she was 7 years old...Under Department of Corrections classification, however, Hulett is considered a low-risk for re-offense."
!
An inept judiciary, failing to administer justice, encourages vigilantism.
Voters should remember this when they are called upon to retain him as a judge.
How young do they want to allow? Frickin' GROSS...
I would say a month in jail for contempt of court for the Judge might just fix his attitude, and execution solves a child rapists problem just fine.
"Cashman said he's more concerned now about rehabilitation."
Send him to Indiana. We will "rehabilitate" him.
Ever see the movie "Pulp Fiction"? He needs to be raped by the gimp for 4 years. :D
I was thinking the same thing. I believe there will be a push to lower the age of consent and eventually none at all. With a "punishment" of 60 days, what would keep a twisted person from molesting kids. Usually there is a fear of going to prison as a child molester because they treated them worse than other criminals. Maybe he will get 60 days worth of punishment in jail from the other criminals. Bad to wish that but even worse what I am thinking should be done to the judge.
The victims family needs to beat the judge to within in an inch of his life.
Then apologize.
UVM Police Powers Challenged
Burlington, Vermont - November 7, 2005
For years UVM Police have operated like any other agency in the state. They are trained the same.. they are certified the same. They cite and arrest people for all sorts of crimes.
That's what happened last May. UVM police arrested a young man for drunk driving on a city street. He refused to take a breath test.
Under Vermont law the refusal should have triggered automatic license suspension and might lead to a criminal conviction.
But not in this case.
District Judge Edward Cashman threw out the drunk driving charge. Cashman ruled that UVM police have legal authority only on campus property and only with UVM students faculty and staff.
"We respectfully disagree with the opinion Judge Cashman has brought down to us. We will be appealing the decision," says Colin McNeil, Chittenden Deputy Prosecutor.
McNeil says he was surprised by the ruling.
Cashman said UVM police powers are limited because they are supervised by UVM's appointed trustees rather than elected officials as required by the Vermont Constitution. But other judges have consistently ruled that the UVM police are authorized to work anyplace and that's why the prosecutor was stunned.
"No, did not expect it to go this way. We've had other opinions,other cases in the past where we've had a favorable ruling and did not expect that the judge would rule this way," says McNeil.
"First of all, the ruling was completely bewildering," says Chief Gary Margolis of UVM Police.
The UVM police chief says his officers will continue to do their duties including off-campus patrols and investigations. But for now, he is more concerned about what the judge's ruling means for the DWI suspect.
"I was concerned that there were no consequences for his action, you know in any way,shape or form and that's a concern because what's gonna keep him from doing it again," says Chief Margolis.
Now prosecutors say they will appeal Judge Cashman's ruling to the Vermont Supreme Court.
Appointed and reappointed by the Vermont Senate and House.
http://www.leg.state.vt.us/DOCS/2002/JOURNAL/JA010329.HTM
Either this judge has "issues," the kind you'd find if you combed his computer...or he has dementia. Either way he should be retired pronto.
As I stated on the other thread of this story. I think the judge is a closet pedophile and is sympathetic to this , this, I cannot even give this monster a proper word, so I will stick with monster.
Pull his d*ck off. By a rope tied to a bull and shoot a shotgun right behind the bull.
This judge claims to have done this so that the offender can receive rehabilitation. I want to know what type of rehabilitation that would be.
According to correction officials, the AMA, APA, courts around the country etc there is NO rehabilitation programs that have been shown to work for child molesters/abusers. Recidivism rates for child molesters is the HIGHEST of all criminal classes, yet this judge knows of some rehab that will work?
I'll say this, when this animal is released in 60 days (or less given good behavior) when he rapes a child again, I will not hold him responsible. The judge however should be brought up on child endangerment, accessory and child abuse charges.
Rotten stinking POS liberal slime judge. Thinks nothing of the victim only the criminal.
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