Illinois Attorney General Intervenes in Rape Case That Went Viral

[Jilly_in_VA]

At a January sentencing hearing for an 18-year-old convicted of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl, an Adams County, Illinois, judge reversed his own conviction so the teen, Drew Clinton, wouldn’t have to serve prison time. The sexual assault charge came with a mandatory minimum sentence of four years in prison, but Judge Robert Adrian said that Clinton had no prior record and already served 148 days in county jail, which he said was “plenty of punishment,” so he threw out the conviction and released him. The girl’s father told Jezebel that she had been suicidal after the assault and the judge overturning the conviction “opened the wound again.”

The case generated national headlines, and the judge was reassigned to civil, not criminal, cases. A Change.org petition calling on the Illinois Courts Commission to censure, suspend, or remove Judge Adrian has more than 102,000 signatures.

Now the state attorney general is getting involved. Yesterday, Illinois AG Kwame Raoul filed a petition urging the Illinois Supreme Court to order the judge to sentence Clinton in accordance with state law.

Raoul said in a statement: “The mandatory sentencing range set by the Illinois General Assembly for felony criminal sexual assault is four to 15 years in prison. In addition to the insensitivity to the victim in this case, the judge’s decision to vacate the conviction and call the 148 days Clinton served in county jail ‘plenty of punishment,’ demonstrates an abuse of power.” He also wrote in the complaint that, by refusing to enforce a criminal statute, Judge Adrian acted as a “quasi-legislator” and “undermin[ed]” confidence in the judicial process.”

https://jezebel.com/illinois-attorney-general-intervenes-in-rape-case-that-1848522791
_____________________________________________________________________
I had not seen this news anywhere else

[iemanja]

1. I'm glad something is finally being done

about these rapist judges. You know their decisions to set men free for rape stems from their own belief that the behavior is acceptable.

[niyad]

2. Exactly. I believe that a little digging in such cases would be enlightening.

[liberalla]

4. wow, that's what I was thinking too.

[liberalla]

3. Exactly. I think he identifies with the rapist. Perhaps* he did something similar in

in his own past, and doesn't see it as all that serious... (it's acceptable, as you said).

* Perhaps...
just a guess, but not so far fetched...

[plimsoll]

6. I'm sure he identified, it's just a question of what with?

Social status? Church affiliation, who knows. We can be sure that he viewed the victim as an "other." I sincerely doubt he would have done this if the identification had been reversed.

[BComplex]

13. Bret Cavanaugh comes to mind.

He would certainly have sympathy for the rapist.

[Tommymac]

5. Thanks for the follow up. Justice will be served despite the quack Judge.

I hope he is removed and disbarred.

[keithbvadu2]

7. Has the judge previously done this in similar cases?

Has the judge previously done this in similar cases?

Is there some social relationship between the judge and the rapist's family?

[Lunabell]

8. Good!

Sexual predators rarely, if ever can be rehabilitated. I'm not just talking out my ass either. Evidence backs me up.

https://smart.ojp.gov/somapi/chapter-7-effectiveness-treatment-adult-sex-offenders

And many escalate their violence toward their victims. I watch enough ID tv to know his next step may be to eliminate the witness. Time to make mandatory 20 year sentences for some sexual offenders. And a LONG probation period.

[BunnyMcGee]

9. 'I had not seen this news anywhere else'

Same here, but welcome news.

[justhanginon]

10. We have some really good people running our state right now.

Certainly a far cry from when Rauner was in office. I hope we can keep them in office next election.

[ShazzieB]

11. Here's the link to the change.org petition if anyone wants to sign,

https://www.change.org/p/illinois-courts-commission-file-charges-against-judge-adrian-for-abuse-of-judicial-discretion-and-power

[Joinfortmill]

12. Judge is an asshole.