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Mon 9 Jan, 2006 03:47 am
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=48219
Quote:
LAW OF THE LAND
Judge gives child-rapist
60-day sentence
No longer believes in punishment: 'Anger doesn't solve anything'
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Posted: January 6, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
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."
I agree anger eats away at you but he needs to be punished.
I bet the judge would think differently if he had been raped for four years.
Rehabilitation-sounds like too little too late.
Did the victim get any counselling?!
The sentence does sound quite short but I think there must be more to this story than meets the eye.
Seeing as how people who molest children are very likely to offend again, I'm wondering how the judge came up with "Hulett is considered a low-risk for re-offense, which means he doesn't qualify for in-prison treatment. "
I think the judge is right that the person needs counseling. If he won't get it in prison this sounds like one way to make sure he gets it.
Also, this happend over a period of four years in the mother's home?
She's now lost custody of her child?
Something is going on here.
there may have been some time between his last offence and when he was captured.
he may have been getting some sort of 'treatment' on his own and the judge was giving him a chance to follow through with that.
yeah. there is probally more to the story then what is printed in the article, but from my stand point,
a 60 day sentance should only be used when waiting for the electric chair. I hate child rapists.
Therapy or not, they should never ever ever get a light sentance..
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