Oh, hell no.

[conuly]

Judge Under Fire For Touting Boy’s ‘Good Family,’ ‘Excellent School’ In Rape Case

Don't click that link if you have a weak stomach.

Now, admittedly, I'm not a big fan of trying juveniles like adults. However, if I did think that was a good idea, for any trial, it'd be this one! This kid didn't accidentally assault her. He knew damn well what he was doing, and he kept on doing it after it was done! How do we know? Because he took photos, and captioned them, and referred to it as rape in the caption when he spread it around! Which, aside from being evil, all sounds pretty open-and-shut to me, so I don't mind jumping to the part where we assume he committed the crime in question. All that's left is to prove it in court and then sentence him.

I mean, it's pretty heinous. How much more do you even need?

The prosecutor "did not indicate in the memorandum that she had explained to Mary and her mother the devastating effect a waiver would have on G.M.C.'s life.

Oh, cry me a damn river. Did anybody explain to him the devastating effect that his actions might have on her life? No, they assumed that boys from "good families" who get "good grades" and are destined for "good colleges" can figure it out for themselves. (Then again, they probably also assume those boys are smart enough to keep their mouths shut. If he can't refrain from boasting about his crimes, I don't know how smart he really is.)

Edit: You know, this should go without saying, but I'm going to bed and want to have sweet dreams, so just in case - I will absolutely ban anybody who tries any sort of rape apologia here. The crime is definitely rape, false accusations are still rare, and I think we've got the perp dead to rights. Sometimes the facts just aren't up for debate.

Comments

[author_by_night]

It's bad enough that guys like him get off precisely for those reasons - they're "good" guys from "good families." It's even worse that the Judge actually admitted that was his reasoning.

[conuly]

Seriously.

How about this, for a novel change of pace? How about we start throwing the book at the kids who had every advantage in life, and being lenient on the ones with a rough start?

[wpadmirer]

Jesus.

[conuly]

Yeah.

[malada]

"Good" boys from "good" families don't rape. He raped. He *took photos*. He *bragged* about raping.

Therefore he is *not* a good boy.

Lock him up. Throw away the key.

-m

[dewline]

Agreed. He wants to brag about doing evil? He can pay for that in the proper way.

[conuly]

Yeah, I like to believe people can grow and change but... he's something else.

[oracne]

I can't even. This fills me with tired rage.

[conuly]

I feel ya.

[rhoda_rants]

WHY are they still ringing that damn bell? "He was a good boy from a good family"--good grief, take your classist bullshit elsewhere. He did a terrible thing, he needs punished. This is not complicated.

[siderea]

Props for calling this what it is: classism.

[topaz_eyes]

Judges like that need to be removed from the bench ASAP for gross incompetence.

[dewline]

I noticed that the article buries the lede: that the judge is getting called out for that crap by NJ Superior Court, that the earlier decision got overturned. Whether any disciplinary action is in the works here...?

[cloudsinvenice]

I am really glad to hear that there are at least some kind of checks and balances going on. But yes, it needs disciplinary action.

[conuly]

Yeah.

[thewayne]

My wife was telling me about this last night. Crucify the kid (proverbially) in my opinion: put him on trial as an adult. He is a reprobate of the first order and doesn't deserve a break, and the judge needs to be pilloried too since he's part of the problem.

He should also be charged with production, possession and distribution of kiddie porn and the kids he sent it to should have the fear of cod put in to them for receiving it.

[kengr]

Under federal law (no idea about NJ law), he's likely guilty of producing child pornography and *absolutely* guilty of distribution.

If he somehow gets off on the rape charges, nailing him for child pornography is a definite plan. Depending on the sort of stance he and his lawyers take at trial, it's likely a good idea to nail him for it anyway.

[thewayne]

It's not uncommon to hold-back charges: in case a major charge fails, you can still try to nail them on serious, but lesser, charges.  I still hope they can nail him on rape, but nailing him on kiddie porn charges would be barely good enough if the rape charge were to fail.  This kid and his parents deserves for his life to be screwed over due to an epic parenting fail.  IMHO.  It also draws out the process and increases costs for the parents....

[jessie_c]

[kengr]

As a former Boy Scout, I'd hope that even the idiots currently running the BSA will take measures to ensure that this "person" won't be an Eagle Scout much longer.

His actions are in no way compatible with the principles Scouting is supposed to be about.

and all this "it will ruin his life" crap needs to go the way of the gay panic defense.

The mere fact that the judge thinks "good family", "chances for good college" etc are a factor at *all* shows either major bias or a major disconnect from reality.

It also shows the "boys are more important than girls" bias in society. And the "it's not any big deal if a girl has sex without her consent" idea as well.

Care to make any bets about how it would have gone if the sexes were reversed? A girl from a "good family" with "good chances" raping a drunk boy and filming it and then distributing the video? Make it sodomizing him with something so he doesn't get "points" or "cred" for having "sex with a girl".

Also, given that she was under 18, and he sent the video to more than three people, he is guilty of producing and distributing child pornography.

That will ruin his life just as thoroughly as the rape charges and be even easier to prove.

Oh yeah, that judge's ideas on what "traditionally" constitutes rape are insane. I don't care if they have a shortage of judges, Judges like him make for *more* work for the rest of the judges.

[conuly]

Yes, yes, all this.

[jessie_c]

The Judge who let Brock Turner go free got fired. The same thing needs to happen here.

[julian]

So on the one hand, I don't approve of the increasing trend of prosecuting kids as adults. (Which is, obviously, largely race and class based.)

On the other hand, some kids do, in fact, cross that line, and it SURE sounds like this guy did.

And, of course, yes, it will be a hit on his reputation and his future prospects. Perrrhaps he should have thought of that *before* he raped her.

ALSO: 'The judge also argued that rape “tradition[ally]” involved two or more males using a weapon to threaten a victim in an “abandon[ed] house,” “shed” or “shack”'

That's a new one! I cannot even. Dear sir: No.

[conuly]

Agreed on both hands, plus the also.

[greghousesgf]

fucking rapists should have the book thrown at them

[conuly]

Pretty much, yeah.

Judge-spanking

[polydad.livejournal.com]

On the good side, the rape-defending judge was "roundly admonished" by the appellate court. Not quite up to the impeachment and disbarring he deserved, but he *did* get spanked and his decision was revoked by higher authority.

Re: Judge-spanking

[conuly]

That's a little bit of good, but I won't sleep easy until he's disbarred.

[silveradept]

One can only wonder what other cases have come before his court that he has decided against giving someone the full treatment they deserve because of their prospects and being a "good boy".

[conuly]

I shudder to contemplate.

[cellio]

WTF? I'm not surprised by the entitled family and their hired lawyer pulling this "oh no he's a good kid" bullshit, but the judge going along with it? What the actual *fuck*?

That is rape. That is *premeditated* rape, with a side helping of showing off because that asshole is either so sure he'll get off (got that right!) or profoundly stupid (calling into question the "good school" thing). Either way, neither he nor his defenders gave any thought whatsoever to the life he ruined, yet they expect a free pass for him? Disgusting!

[conuly]

To be fair to the lawyer, that's their job. I don't blame defense lawyers for defending their clients.

But that judge needs to be ripped several new ones.