Judge Gives Child Molestor 60 Days in Jail

I don't normally do commentary on this blog, but in this case, I'm going to make an exception.

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.

If you cannot perform as a judge because you do not believe in punishment, then get off the bench.

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.

I would like to see this judge say that when this guy gets out and rapes his daughter.

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.

Awww, how kind of him. This is a nation of laws. You break the law you get punished. That simple. If you sexually molest a child you deserve the harshest punishment we have to offer. The only help a child rapist needs is help being strapped into an electric chair and I'll volunteer for the job.

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-offender treatment when he gets out or face a possible life sentence.

Yeah, possible as long as this isn't the judge he goes before next time for another slap on the wrist, if you can even call it that. I suggest a new law should be passed. If a judge does something like this, then the child molester rapes another child, the judge should have to go to jail with him. They can be cellmates.

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.

Then retire if you no longer have the stomach for the job!

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."

Better than just sending them to jail, lock them in a room with volunteers from the community who do have the stomach for punishing child rapists. As far as I'm concerned, this is a good case for bringing back public stoning . . . for the judge.

by Chris McElroy
Most Wanted Blog