[Lois]

Someone should ask the judge if his own daughter was raped, what kind of sentence would he give?  When I hear stuff like this I often wonder if an attitude of "parents own their children" comes into play, thus making incestuous rape a lesser crime.

I'm all for treatment and rehabilitation, but it should happen in a prison.


Judge who gave Montana man no prison for incest, rape conviction under fire

HELENA, MONT. - An online petition with more than 14,000 signatures calling for the impeachment of a Montana judge over the sentencing of a 40-year-old man to 60 days in jail in an incest case involving a 12-year-old girl has been sent to the state’s governor and other officials.

The man was sentenced to the jail time, plus a 30-year suspended prison term last week as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. The man also was ordered to complete community-based sex-offender treatment and register as a sex offender.

District Judge John McKeon has defended himself against criticism, saying a plea agreement that recommended a 25-year minimum sentence allowed for a lesser one, depending on the results of a psychosexual evaluation. He said that evaluation found the defendant could be safely treated and supervised in the community. McKeon also notes the victim’s mother and grandmother asked that the defendant not be sentenced to prison.

The AP and CBS News are not naming the defendant to avoid identifying the victim.

Originally, Deputy Valley County Attorney Dylan Jensen recommended a 100-year prison sentence with 75 years suspended - as called for in state law - as part of a plea agreement that recommended the dismissal of two other incest charges.

“A father repeatedly raped his 12-year-old daughter,” Jensen said during the Oct. 4 sentencing hearing.

A licensed clinical social worker testified that the man was a low-risk to re-offend and that it would be important for him to have social support while he received treatment. The social worker, Michael Sullivan of Billings, said the man did suffer a “collapse of social support” when he lost his family and job.

Court records said the girl’s mother walked in on one of the sexual assaults.

Public defender Casey Moore argued there was more than one way to hold a person accountable.

“I’m not asking that he be given a slap on the wrist,” Moore said. “He did spend 17 days in jail and he did lose his job,” and will be on supervision for the rest of his life.

McKeon said he diverted from the recommended sentence because the man had support from his family, friends, church and his employer. The girl’s mother and grandmother were reportedly among those supporting a community-based punishment. Someone wrote that “he was a good father for 12 years,” and another said he was not a monster, but a man who had made a mistake.

Jensen said afterwards that he was shocked and disappointed with the sentence, but respected the judge’s decision.

McKeon is retiring soon after 22 years as a state judge.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/judge-john-mckeon-montana-no-prison-incest-rape-conviction-under-fire/

I'm very disgusted and ashamed of this sentence.  But at the ame time I do feel bad for the father as it sounds like he had a mental break with everything that was happening to him in his life.

In my area there was a case of a 32 year old man raping a 9 month old girl who later died. In his case, I could care less what happened to him to make him do it.  He did the crime and the justice must be served.  I feel the same for the man in this story.  Regardless of why, he is responsible for his actions.

[drakan]

Wait, if the man being let out prison, wouldn't that mean he's being sent back to stay with his family? including, you know, the daughter he raped?

McKeon also notes the victim’s mother and grandmother asked that the defendant not be sentenced to prison.

This right here is the thing I find... puzzling, due to lack of a better word, I mean there's two situations that come to mind for the mother to want to guy who raped her daughter out of prison: either she was fine with what the man was doing (in which case she's an accomplice), or she wants it to be easier to stab him in his sleep or poison his food.

“I’m not asking that he be given a slap on the wrist,” Moore said. “He did spend 17 days in jail and he did lose his job,”

Then, just out of curiosity, what does this guy consider a slap on the wrist? asking politely that he not do it again before sending him home?

[liarsuk33]

S

McKeon said he diverted from the recommended sentence because the man had support from his family, friends, church and his employer. The girl’s mother and grandmother were reportedly among those supporting a community-based punishment. Someone wrote that “he was a good father for 12 years,” and another said he was not a monster, but a man who had made a mistake.

J

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/judge-john-mckeon-montana-no-prison-incest-rape-conviction-under-fire/

That's nice, that our modern liberal society allows that the perpetrater has such support; I'm sure that eventually he will be able to come to terms with the difficulties that life has chosen for him and rebound with renewed vigour  to face the evil people that choose to believe that, in reality, he is a cunt.
Any news of the victim? Or isn't that important?

What a fucked up society.

[vile8r]

"What a fucked up society."


That, in a nutshell, says it ALL! This judge wasn't from Canada, was he? Because it's just the kind of bleeding-heart liberal claptrap that we hear up here all the time. Victims have no rights and are indeed almost made to feel guilty that THEY had the audacity to report the crime, because oh the poor criminal has had SUCH a horrible life. He can't be blamed for his actions.....it's OUR fault. Society has made him what he is! What a LOAD of fecal matter!