Vermont Justice?

Admin

Admin

Staff Member
Administrator
Moderator
NES Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2005
Messages
43,711
Likes
47,191
Location
Monadnock area, NH
Feedback: 18 / 0 / 0
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=3752457&nav=4QcSdcS7

Sex Offender Sentence Draws Fire

Burlington, Vt -- August 22, 2005

A Vermont judge is coming under fire for proposing a sentence that could send a confessed child molester to jail for only one month.

Parents and prosecutors say it is far too lenient for a man who repeatedly sexually assaulted a little girl for two years.

At issue is the sentence being considered for Mark Hulett of Williston. The victim's parents say the sentence being considered by Judge Edward Cashman is an outrage.

Hulett, 34, pled guilty to sexually assaulting a friend's young daughter at least fifty times over a two year period, starting when the little girl was only seven.

The conviction on the charges of aggravated sex assault carry a potential life sentence, but Vermont District Court Judge Edward Cashman announced he is considering a prison sentence of no more than 90 days if Hulett qualifies for out-patient sex offender therapy.

The County Prosecutor opposes the Judge's proposal. They say Hulett should serve at least 8 years behind bars.

The victim's mother looked on as Hulett pled guilty at a Burlington court hearing Monday. She told Channel 3 the proposed 90-day sentence is an "outrage and a shock."

Hulett declined comment as he left the courthouse.

In response to the complaints, Judge Cashman told Channel 3 he would explain his rationale for the 90-day sentence at Hulett's sentencing hearing which has not yet been scheduled. However, the Judge could still change his mind and impose a longer sentence. If he does impose a longer sentence, Hulett will be free to withdraw his guilty pleas and go to trial.
Click to expand...

The good thing is once he's out, he's fair game. I'm sure there are a few good ole boys marking their calendars.
 
On the news the Judge said that he did this so short because he doesn't believe that jail will resolve the issue. But, that he has to go to treatment. And if he doesn't follow whatever it is from that treatment then he's in for life.

It does make sense, but I would be pissed if I were the parents.
 
It should be life regardless. What kind of message to you send others.
Well I can rape someone for 2 years, if I get caught I do 3 months and rehab.
Click to expand...

He should be put to death. NO EXCUSE what so ever.
 
I've been too pissed off to post this myself.

It was being talked about yesterday on the radio station I listen to in the AM. I called in, and my comments weren't so nice, even the ones I let the guy put on the air. I did comment that the Judge should be the one to finnish the sentence, when the perp violates his parole.

What didn't make the air was the thought that the Perp should be released to live near the Judge, preferably with his family. And also, the comment of what would happen to the judge if it was one of my Grand daughters that was molested.

Of course, my actions would take place AFTER the Fist Fight among the family over who would get the privelege of doing the deed. 8)

There is an upside to this. Judge Cashman isn't well thought of by some folks, and the issue of long term confinemment of sexual offenders is coming up in the Legislature this year. The Governor and the Legislature is pretty pissed off about Cashman's sentence of this guy.

I'd wager the bill on long term confinemment will pass by a healthy margin, and the Governor definitely will sign it. I'd also not be surprised if steps are looked into for Cashman's removal/retirement.
 
I do believe that the perp would be well advised to leave VT upon his release. He will be in great danger when he gets out. He may not be sumarrily executed, but, I do believe he'll learn the meaning of "beaten to within an inch of his life". I won't be the one to do it.
 
I understand the fact that he needs treatment, and that jail won't "fix" his "problem".

That being said, WTF is the judge thinking? I certainly don't think that he'll be cured in 90 days of jail either, and the fact that he's in therapy doesn't mean a damn thing if he rapes a little girl again!!! If the judge is clear headed and still believes in therapy over jail, then have the guy serve 5 years while in therapy the WHOLE time. Then after 5 years of therapy and a clean bill of mental heath by a shrink, let him out, on probabtion.
 
Cashman is stinking, bleeding heart Liberal, of the worst order. He thinks he's better than the rest of us, and is above reproach.

I'm also pretty sure he's the result of either Dean's or Kunin's administrations, and they're both ultraliberals (and Kunin is one CHEAP BITCH, Butt ugly, too).
 
Have you ever seen any of them reformed? They usually have a long list. They do not belong out on the streets period. If it was my kid,I would be the one behind bars, and they would not be breathing.
 
Cashman's reward will be the loss of ability of the judges to determine sentences, because the Legislature will now step in.

Though he may have been lenient to this perp, the end result will be mandatory sentencing for Sexual Offenders. That will give the judges virtually NO leeway, since the attitude up here is for longer rather than shorter sentences.

And, the legislators are still remembering the "Civil Union" fiasco, which caused a massive turnover in the legislature, after the following election.

They will be very careful to go with the voters wishes on this, and we're very angry with the judge. I haven't heard ONE comment backing the judges decision, and the local media is with us.
 
I find the whole topic sickening.

There should be a zero tolerance policy on sexual assault. Let all the homies who got caught dealing pot and prostitutes out of jail. They're only hurting themselves and their customers. This will make plenty of room for anyone found guilty of sexual assault to spend a long, long, long (is forever too long) time behind bars.
 
I don't have maternal instincts (which is why I only have 4 legged "kids"), however, if I were the mother of that little one, I'd be at the range (any range), practicing with my sniper rifle for when that pervert gets out.

There will be another child, whether it's in VT or not, that will become his victim. I can't type what I think of the judge. I'd make a Marine blush.
 
As I said Lynne, I'd be the one behind bars, and said pervert would not be breathing, if it was my kid. Something about that whole mother bear thing. [wink]
 
I may not know about all the circumstances behind this situation but my single question is how come noone has asked about how the parents could be so oblivious to this happening to their little girl for two years.

From what I gathered it seems that whatever he was doing to this little girl has got to be a hard thing to hide from the parents. I mean many of you are parents, how long do you allow your small children alone with people?? Let alone how many of you wouldn;t notice something wrong with your child?


hmmm I think there's more to this.
 
Grifter said:
I may not know about all the circumstances behind this situation but my single question is how come noone has asked about how the parents could be so oblivious to this happening to their little girl for two years.

From what I gathered it seems that whatever he was doing to this little girl has got to be a hard thing to hide from the parents. I mean many of you are parents, how long do you allow your small children alone with people?? Let alone how many of you wouldn;t notice something wrong with your child?


hmmm I think there's more to this.
Click to expand...

Well...it's very possible that the parents didn't expect something like this to happen in VT. It's not like most other states. Crime is low up there - all crime. Although, I do see your point. I can't see how something like that could be missed for 2 years. I mean, the little girl would have to change somehow and that should have been aparent....one would think anyway. Course, as I said, I'm not a parent, so I'm not exactly the voice of experience.
 
My understanding is that alot of the times the pervert, will threaten to kill the kids family or siblings if the kid tells. I am sure the kids behavior would change in some way. I have never had to deal with it, and thankful I never have. Alan was lucky he only had family babysit him.
 
Don't get me wrong. I have a daughter and I would go ape shit if this happened.

I'm just saying that I understand where the judge was coming from...jail doesn't "reform" people.

That being said, I don't think that he should be free on the streets. My ex-wife's 4 year old was molested in the day care they were at in Montana. So it can really happen anywhere. And the only reason that she found out was when they were in bed reading a book and she mentioned something about being "tickled" in her special area.

It was sickening.

Now, do I think that Jail is the place for these people? No I don't. But I do think that they should spend a life in some type of asylum. Keep them on salt peter or some type of castration drug.

But that's my take.
 
I agree with C-pher that prison time is not going to cure this individual, nor is extensive therapy likely to modify the behavior. This is the way the guy is wired and whether that is a result of nature or nurture, I'll leave that debate to better minds than mine.

Clearly, the judge erred. If he had sentenced the perp to one month in jail followed by civil commitment of indefinite duration in a state mental institution, I could live with that. Justice has clearly not been served, nor have the best interests of the perp been served as it is highly likely that he will re-offend and go through the whole process all over again. The impact of his actions on future victims cannot even be caculated.

I have no solutions, but I do have several ideas about what to do with these offenders: castration followed by libido inhibiting drug therapy for life or some kind of exile for life. Exile would never fly today, but increasingly I think it has its virtues. Involuntary castration and drug therapy is perceived as cruel and unusual punishment, yet I don't see it as punishment at all, but the way to modify a behavioral condition. There is a third option which is kill them, but I am not a believer in capital punishment......"street justice" after the perp gets out might solve the problem for everyone, except the citizen doing the deed if caught would end up spending more jail time than was ever conceived for the perp...of course there is always jury nullification :)

Mark
 
mark056 said:
I except the citizen doing the deed if caught would end up spending more jail time than was ever conceived for the perp...of course there is always jury nullification :)
Click to expand...

That's given that the judge informs the jury of their ability to use jury nulification. They tend to forget about it. [roll]
 
C-pher said:
My ex-wife's 4 year old was molested in the day care they were at in Montana. So it can really happen anywhere. .
Click to expand...
I grew up in NH and know someone this happened to. One of my best friends had this happen to his step daughter. He was close friends with the guy who did it so he and his wife trusted him. The guy got 7 years and is already out. He got out early because of good behavior. My friend's step daughter on the other hand is pretty messed up. They moved out of state and from what I hear she's still being controlled by what happened to her. She'll be in hell for the rest of her life and he's out walking the streets. Somehow that doesn't seem like justice to me.
 
Oh, Judge Cashman is in serious shit over this.

They've boiled it down to 3 possible courses of action.

Impeachment - Tough to get through the process, only been done 5 times in VT, and never to a judge. I doubt this will happen.

Removal for Misconduct by State Supreme Court - Also highly unlikely.

Juducial Review - Our judges get reviewed periodically for tenure. Cashman's review comes up next month. Anybody care to guess what the outcome is going to be? Probably GOODBYE.

The Legislature is calling for a non-binding resolution demanding Cashman's resignation. It WILL pass, but nobody thinks Cashman will resign.

Also, a mandatory sentencing bill for sexual predators of minors is pending as we speak. It will definitely pass now, and the Governor won't veto it (not that it would matter, it'll have enough support to override anyways).

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/...0111/NEWS01/601110315&SearchID=73232246439173
 
Oh, don't worry Lynne, he'll get his. Remember, we may have a fair amount of Liberals up here, but they aren't so Liberal when it comes to this stuff (or owning firearms). Hell, a VT Liberal would make Reagan or Bush look soft on crime sometimes. The only thing they really don't like is the Death Penalty. And VT doesn't have a Death Penalty.
 
Another update

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060117/OPINION/601170327/1006&theme=

Opinion page for today - Protecting the child must be paramount

And, just so everybody knows what our Governor thinks:

http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060113/NEWS/601130353/1002

And, local reaction to Bill O'Reilley's call for Boycotting Vermont. Maybe VT should boycott Bill O'Reilley and Fox News. Maybe Bill should dig a little deeper than just what the judge passed for a sentence.

http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060119/NEWS/601190358/1002/NEWS01
 

Similar threads

Notorious road rage driver who 'attacks women and girls' gets brutal taste of prison 'justice'
Replies
2
Views
99
VTski4x4
VTski4x4
Border Patrol agent killed - Vermont
2 3 4
Replies
113
Views
3K
1sern
1
Vermonts Only Landfill Running Out Of Space
2
Replies
30
Views
486
AppleSeeds
A
Homelessness, drug addiction drive public safety concerns in largest Vermont city: ‘I don’t walk at night'
2
Replies
32
Views
540
FormerlyIndifferent
FormerlyIndifferent
FEMA's response to last year's flooding in Vermont
Replies
3
Views
77
Dennis in MA
Dennis in MA
Back
Top Bottom