The judge in the linked article made rude comments about the appearance of the victim in a rape trial. His own picture is in the link, and let me tell you, he’s no Mr. America himself. No wonder many rape victims are afraid to prosecute, with bow-wows like this judge out there. What a jerk.
The only way a piece of work like that ought to be on the bench is if we’re lapsing into sports metaphor.
Ugh. I saw that this morning too, Baker and wanted to puke.
And the “Well, since it’s in the transcript I must have said it, but I don’t remember doing so” excuse is such a lame, pathetic copout that it makes it even more infuriating. If you’re so fucking senile that you not only make hateful ignorant remarks while performing your duties but also immediately forget doing so, then maybe you should get off the bench and go find employment more suited to you–like fellating club-dicked lepers for tarnished pennies.
At least he had the sense to recuse himself. I feel really sorry for that poor woman. I can’t imagine how I’d be feeling right now if I were her–somewhere between rage and unbelievable hurt most likely.
Ok…now I’m pissed off for the night. Who the hell is he to condemn someone’s looks? Like that has a damn thing to do with her being raped. The word moron comes to mind.
Thank God he recused himself. Otherwise I’d be getting a bigger migraine.
You know, what bugs me is, just how many judges actually think this way, but wisely never voice it? This fuckslit simply made the mistake of thinking out loud. Wonder how many never have…?
Any possibility of an alternate explanation?
Depression and heavy drinking? A change of medication? Early senility? Begining of Tourettes?
Probably just the callousness of dealing with tragedy frequently.
No, I’m not saying that excuses it.
Apparently he wasn’t going to voluntarily recuse himself. And I really don’t think that the victim should accept his apology, unless it’s accompanied by his immediate resignation. Some folks are still sharp at 70, and some need to be put out to pasture then. I think the judge needs to retire.
what a horrid man
Poor woman. On top of having been raped, she has to put up with those appalling remarks from the judge. One would think that by now that jerk would know that rape isn’t about sex, but about violence and exerting control over someone.
“During proceedings in the rape case Monday before the prosecutor and defense attorney, Stephenson looked at a photograph of the battered victim and said, “Why would he want to rape her? She doesn’t look like a day at the beach,” according to a transcript reviewed by the Orlando Sentinel.”
OMG GOD. You have to be kidding. WHO can we write to and get this asshole fired/removed from his post/eaten by fireants? That is just unbelievable. It’s almost as bad as the “she asked for it- look at how she’s dressed” attitude. Or maybe worse- I don’t even know.
And as I said in my OP, the judge himself isn’t going to be winning any beauty contests. Where does he get off deriding the looks of the victim? This guy needs to resign, either voluntarily, with some minute portion of honor left, or kick out on his butt.
I vote for ants! (And I didn’t even know that was an option. Florida’s a straaaaaaaaaange place, man.)
How much you want to bet a character like this winds up in the next Hiaasen novel for the sole purpose of torturing him as a proxy for the real-life goon?
I swear we’re not all morons in this state! It just looks that way on the news all the time!
The judge has publicly apologized and recused himself from the case.
He’s saying “Monday was a bad day for me.” He blamed his statement on painkillers he took for dental work. :rolleyes:
The prosecutor and the rape victim are planning to file a complaint with the state judicial board.
What a tool.
Absolutely disgusting and totally inexcusable.
Is that so implausible?
Have you ever thought something that you would never, ever say? Because your natural inhibitions would keep you from saying it, right. Inappropriate comments, mean spirited jibes, nasty sexual remarks… Now if you were to ingest a powerful narcotic and *lose * some of those inhibitions, a nasty remark might just slip out of you.
I ain’t saying that what’s happened. I’m just thinking it’s possible.
Or maybe flat-out psycho, instead.
Some kids were having a snowball fight. One of the snowballs hit the wall of the judge’s house.
So, he takes a shotgun, & shoots the kid. :mad: :mad: :mad: \
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=757&e=6&u=/nm/20040128/od_nm/judge_dc
ooooo, we playing Germany or Florida??
(for those who don’t get the reference, Love Line’s had a running bit going named “Germany or Florida”, where callers call in with bizarre news stories, and Adam and Drew try to guess whether it happened in Germany or Florida. Good times, good times. 
)
As for both the above judges…ugh. I’m gonna go out and buy a “The More People I meet, The More I Like My Cats” bumper sticker today…I’ve been meaning to for months, really.
If I were in pain enough to need pills after dental work, I know I would be in too much pain to go to work.
Here in Philly, we have a judge who called a rape victim “coyote ugly”. He also stated that she was the ugliest woman he had ever seen and that she should be glad any man wanted to have sex with her. He’s mentioned in either the first or second News Of The Weird book.
He made the papers again a few years ago when he was placed on the felony waiver program. Basically, the accused can waive their right to a jury trial in return for a lesser sentence if convicted. The judge protested his placement in the program calling it insulting and demeaning. He also stated that anybody he found guilty would not receive a lesser sentence.
Then he started working an hour or so a day. No, they didn’t reduce his hours or put him in another program. He showed up, worked an hour and then left.