Are the righties right about this case of child abuse?

[Onlooker]

http://news.lp.findlaw.com/ap/o/632/01-13-2006/d39c003da0f710e0.html

"Judge Edward Cashman should be the darling of conservatives: a churchgoer, a former prosecutor, a Vietnam vet and a member of the bench known for his hard-line stands: A decade ago he jailed for 41 days the parents of a suspect in a rape case because they refused to cooperate with prosecutors.

"In the past few days, though, Cashman has been vilified by conservatives on TV and on blogs. On Fox News, Bill O'Reilly told viewers as video of Cashman rolled: "You may be looking at the worst judge in the USA." And several Vermont Republican lawmakers have demanded he resign or be impeached.

"The reason: Cashman sentenced a child molester to just 60 days of jail time - a sentence he said was designed to ensure the man got prompt sex-offender treatment but critics say was too soft."

(There's more info here: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10743544/from/RSS/)

***

While I favor rehabilation and generally oppose extremely long sentences, 2 months seems like a ridiculous small amount of time for raping a child. A search on Google shows that almost all the condemnation is coming from the right, while the left should be at least as vocal, since I think Cashman may be some sort of sexist freak, and not some liberal do-gooder with a misplaced heart.

[PBass]

1. Huh?

I don't see it as a Left vs Right issue in any way, whatsoever.

Didn't Daily Kos or Raw Story cover this? I've read about this on the net and it wasn't at a "right wing" website

[Onlooker]

3. I just read about it a little while ago and ...

Did a search for more info, such as to see what the extenuating circumstances were. Virtually all the links I came across were from right-wing sites, but frankly I think the sentence is horrific.

[GrumpyGreg]

4. I don't either----it's a case of a blatant child abuser being given

a 60 day sentence.

All of us,on both sides,love children and should be enraged.

[ret5hd]

9. both sides might love children, but ONE side loves them differently...

(try to compile a similar list of dems)

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/7/14/93826/8594

Republican anti-abortion activist Howard Scott Heldreth is a convicted child rapist in Florida.


Republican County Commissioner David Swartz pleaded guilty to molesting two girls under the age of 11 and was sentenced to 8 years in prison.


Republican judge Mark Pazuhanich pleaded no contest to fondling a 10-year old girl and was sentenced to 10 years probation. Of course it's no contest! How could he even get a fair fight against those activist judges!


Republican anti-abortion activist Nicholas Morency pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography on his computer and offering a bounty to anybody who murders an abortion doctor. - That's the culture of life we all know and love!


Republican legislator Edison Misla Aldarondo sentenced to 10 years in prison for raping his 9 yr old daughter.


Republican Mayor Philip Giordano serving a 37-year sentence for sexually abusing 8- and 10-year old girls.


Republican campaign consultant Tom Shortridge sentenced to 3 years probation for taking nude photographs of a 15-year old girl. I'm sure he had a good explanation.


Republican racist pedophile and esteemed US Senator Strom Thurmond fathered a chiled with a 15-year old black girl.


Republican pastor Mike Hintz, whom George W. Bush commended during the 2004 presidential campaign, surrendered to police after admitting to sexual relations with a juvenile. Praise George!


Republican legislator Peter Dibble pleaded no contest to having inappropriate relations with a 13-year-old girl.


Republican activist Lawrence E. King, Jr. organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.


Republican lobbyist Craig J. Spence organized child sex parties at the White House during the 1980s.


Republican Congressman Donald "Buz" Lukens found guilty of sex with a female minor and sentenced to one month in jail.


Republican fundraiser Richard A. Delgaudio found guilty of child porn charges and paying two teenage girls to pose for sexual photos.


Republican activist Mark A. Grethen convicted on 6counts of child sex crimes.


Republican activist Randal David Ankeney pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault on a child. Look, he didn't actually do anything. He only TRIED! You can't fault a republican for trying!


Republican Congressman Dan Crane had sex with a female minor working as a congressional page.


Republican activist and Christian Coalition leader Beverly Russell admitted to an incestuous relationship with his step daughter. Prai$e the lord!


Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger allegedly had sex with a 16 year old girl when he was 28. I love this country!


Republican congressman and anti-gay activist Robert Bauman was charged with having sex with a 16-year-old boy he picked up at a gay bar. Now I'm sure he can give us a good explanation for this.


Republican Committee Chairman Jeffrey Patti was arrested for distributing a video clip of a 5-year-old girl being raped. Obviously a liberal conspiracy!


Republican activist Marty Glickman (a.k.a. "Republican Marty"), was taken into custody by Florida police on four counts of unlawful sexual activity with an underage girl and one count of delivering the drug LSD. He was obviously trying to help this woman! Do you liberals no shame!


Republican legislative aide Howard L. Brooks was charged with molesting a 12-year old boy and possession of child pornography. Look! It was his own son. Geez you liberals are SICK!


Republican Senate candidate John Hathaway accused of having sex with his 12-year old baby sitter and withdrew his candidacy after the allegations were reported in the media. He was trying to explain to her what NOT to do when in a difficult situation!


Republican preacher Stephen White, who demanded a return to traditional values, was sentenced to jail after offering $20 to a 14-year-old boy for permission to perform oral sex on him.


Republican talk show host Jon Matthews pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals to an 11 year old girl. She could have turned away.


Republican anti-gay activist Earl "Butch" Kimmerling was sentenced to 40 years in prison for molesting an 8-year old girl after he attempted to stop a gay couple from adopting her. Liberal jury of course.


Republican Party leader Paul Ingram pleaded guilty to six counts of raping his daughters and served 14 years in federal prison. Now how could anyone rape their daughter 6 times! Can you say Liberal psycologist!


Republican election board official Kevin Coan was sentenced to two years probation for soliciting sex over the internet from a 14-year old girl. Obviously set up by a liberal computer hacker. These hackers no NO SHAME!


Republican politician Andrew Buhr was charged with two counts of first degree sodomy with a 13-year old boy. What's sodomy?


Republican politician Keith Westmoreland was arrested on seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to girls under the age of 16 (i.e. exposing himself to children). You see, actually he happened to be changing out of his bathing suit when these kids walked by.


Republican anti-abortion activist John Allen Burt was charged with sexual misconduct involving a 15-year old girl.


Republican County Councilman Keola Childs pleaded guilty to molesting a male child. He pleaded guilty only to keep his family out of the liberal media's spotlight.


Republican activist John Butler was charged with criminal sexual assault on a teenage girl. She was eighTEEN. That's still a teenager!


Republican candidate Richard Gardner admitted to molesting his two daughters. He only had their interests in mind. Why don't you liberals see that!


Republican Councilman and former Marine Jack W. Gardner was convicted of molesting a 13-year old girl. No comment.


Republican County Commissioner Merrill Robert Barter pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual contact and assault on a teenage boy. That boy was a liberal trying to corrupt his mind. He did the right thing.


Republican City Councilman Fred C. Smeltzer, Jr. pleaded no contest to raping a 15 year-old girl and served 6-months in prison. He did the honorable thing and did his time.


Republican activist Parker J. Bena pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography on his home computer and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $18,000. Lies. Lies! All liberal lies!


Republican parole board officer and former Colorado state representative, Larry Jack Schwarz, was fired after child pornography was found in his possession. Obviously set up by that liberal media!


Republican strategist and Citadel Military College graduate Robin Vanderwall was convicted in Virginia on five counts of soliciting sex from boys and girls over the internet. Who said republicans were sexist!


Republican city councilman Mark Harris, who is described as a "good military man" and "church goer," was convicted of repeatedly having sex with an 11-year-old girl and sentenced to 12 years in prison. If you do the crime, you do the time + 1.


Republican businessman Jon Grunseth withdrew his candidacy for Minnesota governor after allegations surfaced that he went swimming in the nude with four underage girls, including his daughter. He just wanted to keep an eye out for those girls...and his daughter. He even had pictures to prove it!


Republican director of the "Young Republican Federation" Nicholas Elizondo molested his 6-year old daughter and was sentenced to six years in prison. He LOVED that girl.


Republican benefactor of conservative Christian groups, Richard A. Dasen Sr., was charged with rape for allegedly paying a 15-year old girl for sex. Dasen, 62, who is married with grown children and several grandchildren, has allegedly told police that over the past decade he paid more than $1 million to have sex with a large number of young women. Philanthrapy at it's finest!

[GrumpyGreg]

13. Wow !! Good job !

[ret5hd]

17. not my effort...dailykos (nt)

[Maru Kitteh]

26. One of those has proved to be bunk, a sad consequence of fundie hysteria

in the 80's when they were all on their "satanic ritual" kick. Paul Ingram pleaded guilty to spare his daughters a trial and had even been talked into believing he'd actually done some of those things. The girls also accused dozens other people in the community including the whole sheriffs department of abusing them and making them eat aborted babies and all kinds of crazy shit. I guess the guy put himself in the situation of getting thrown in the clink by hanging out with snake charmers and witch burners and raising his kids that way so I don't exactly feel sorry for the guy but it appears he didn't actually do it.

[AX10]

2. Cashman is wrong in both cases.

edited:
Cashman should be disbarred for life. First he wrongly jails a suspects parents for good reason then he lets a rapist off the hook with two months in prison? :wtf:?

[ret5hd]

5. there is only ONE judge discussed...

both instances are the same judge.

(but i agree with an earlier post: this isn't a left v. right issue)

[AX10]

11. I said that Cashman was also wrong for...

putting a suspects parents in jail for 41 days for not "cooperating". He was overzealous.

[ret5hd]

20. who's the second judge you reffered to then?

just askin'...

[AX10]

21. ignore.

there was only one judge involved here.

[bloom]

6. There was outrage about that sentence here as well

the rightees don't own that issue.

In fact, as I mentioned when it came up - the judge was appointed by a Republican Governor.



On edit - links:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=58482

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=229x3634

[SmokingJacket]

7. yeah, it's not about right or left. nt

[Grillydad]

8. Hard to tell

My experience is that when things like this seem so wrong, there is usually a lot of sigificant information that is wrong or left out. I have not followed this case, but I have heard the nutshell bandied about... he could be wrong but with that level of WTF, there may be more than meets the eye.

[bloom]

15. It seems to be pretty clear

that the judge wanted there to be rehab by the corrections dept. and since they were not going to provide it - he felt justified in having a ludicrously low sentence.

I did some research on him - he is quite fond of the notion of counseling taking care of the problem - and not incarceration.

Of course - then there was the case where he sentenced the mother to 35 years for child abuse - so it starts to look like he just goes easy on men - for the same crime.

[fishwax]

10. It's been discussed here

there've been a few related threads in the last several days. Here's one: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=58482

[PDJane]

12. On the other hand.........

The reason he received the lenient sentence is a function of the minimum/maximum sentencing guidelines of the state.

There is a question of rehabilitation, and the fact that the man has diminished capacity....he is legally an adult, but his mental functioning is that of a 12 year old. The state has agreed to pay for treatment if his sentence is revised upwards, and the judge has a history of being very strict, so the sentence isn't set in stone.

I do agree with trying to rehabilite this man, and there does seem to be a concensus that he can be taught that this behaviour is wrong.

However, I would very much like the state to pay for the treatment for his victim too, who is going to need help dealing with this.

[bloom]

19. This doesn't seem like an excuse:

"The reason he received the lenient sentence is a function of the minimum/maximum sentencing guidelines of the state".


I'm sure he wasn't prevented from sentencing 10-30 years - he just chose not to. In some states he would have been required to.

[cali]

14. I'm reluctant to

totally slam Cashman on this, but he's definitely known as being insensitive towards women in VT legal circles. Peter Freyne, a liberal VT commentator wrote an interesting piece about this in the current issue of Seven Days. You can find it on-line. Anyway, it wasn't nearly as simple as Cashman just giving the perp 60 days. And though, of course, this isn't a right/left issue, the right has seized upon it in a most disgusting way. Bill O'Reilly has sent crews up here to hound Cashman and he's threatened our terrific Speaker of the House, Gaye Symington if she doesn't "fire" Cashman.

[bloom]

23. Freyne

said a lot was left out of the press. I didn't see where he added that much:

"The fact is, Cashman sentenced Hulett to up to 10 years on the first count, three years to life on the second count and two to five years on the third count. He will be on probation and under state supervision until the day he dies!"

http://www.sevendaysvt.com/columns/inside-track-politics/200610/crucifyingcashman.html


Seems to me Freyne is trying to suggest that being on a sex offender registry is equivalent to the supervision one would get in jail - which is ridiculous.

Also - I think a lot of people would be happy to let a lot of the drug offenders out of jail and put the child rapists in there instead - instead of making new jails.

[mandyky]

16. Another reason he may have given a light sentence

might be lack of some evidence. My daughter was molested by my brother-in-law, when she was 3. The cops wanted to rip hi apart but the judge gave my BIL 60 days and only weekends so he could keep his job. Maybe the evidence was a bit "shoddy" in this VT case too.

I was not happy with my BIL's sentence, and I wish they'd have sentenced him to help. The 60 days was an insult, since he only did weekend time. Fortunately, my sister divorced him, and he is no longer a problem to us, but I often wonder if he "offended" again.

[coldiggs]

18. stoping pedofiles should not be partisn. I think we all across the politic

al specturm could agree that this guy has to go.

[ret5hd]

24. i think it is largely partisan...see post #9 (nt)

[Poppyseedman]

22. Child rapist should be put to death

After a fair trial and a appeal.

Sorry, anybody who would violate a 10 year old child sexually for 4 years does not deserve to breath the same air as I do.

Consider it cleaning up the gene pool.

[MrSlayer]

27. I concur.

Pedophiles should be executed. There is no rehab or "cure" for this form of insanity.

[NaturalHigh]

25. I don't oppose "extremely long sentences"...

when it comes to child abuse. This guy should be locked up for life, no chance for parole.

[sniffa]

28. no the righties are wrong on this case

why frame your thread this way?

don't you think that democrats shouLd be opposed to cannabaLism? maybe the repubLicans are right on that issue.