Vermont Judge Is F***d Up in The Head

[Will]

MONTPELIER, Vt. — 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.

"As far as we're concerned, Cashman's district can hereby be considered a predator's sanctuary," wrote the Caledonian Record newspaper of St. Johnsbury. "As long as judges like Ed Cashman are allowed to sit on Vermont benches, children cannot be considered safe."

Cashman has been unswayed: "I am aware that the intensity of some public criticism may shorten my judicial career," he wrote in a memorandum this week. "To change my decision now, however, simply because of some negative sentiment, would be wrong."

The firestorm erupted last week when Cashman sentenced Mark Hulett, 34, for having sexual contact with a girl, beginning when she was 6, over a four-year period.

The Corrections Department had concluded that Hulett was unlikely to commit another such offense, and Vermont does not provide sex-offender treatment to such inmates until they reach the end of their jail time.

Cashman said he would have imposed more jail time — a three-year minimum — if the state promised treatment while Hulett was jailed.

"The solution to these concerns requires quick and effective treatment," the judge wrote. He also noted that Hulett tested at a borderline intelligence level, has the emotional maturity of a 12- to 14-year-old and did not understand why others were so upset by his actions.

Republican Gov. James Douglas said Thursday the judge should consider resigning. He condemned the 60-day sentence as insensitive to the victim and her family.

[bcbadgalz]

I once went before a Judge in Pitsburgh...Judge Machen ( asshole )
It was a disorderly conduct charge or some other minor offense that I caught in a concert parking lot. This retard told me the second that I stepped up before him that I looked evil....See my avatar, I don't look evil, do I ?
My hearing was just before lunch break and I got to watch this moron let people off for beating the hell out of one another, crushing their wives, etc...
He threatened to jail me for 90 days and I never said a word.
I tried to behave after that.
Some of these people need to get the hell off the bench and this sounds like one of them. I still hate that Judge and it has been many years. He nearly lost his place on the bench this last election and I registered to vote, just to get him out.
**** that idiot !

[rio132]

Originally Posted by bcbadgalz

I once went before a Judge in Pitsburgh...Judge Machen ( asshole )
It was a disorderly conduct charge or some other minor offense that I caught in a concert parking lot. This retard told me the second that I stepped up before him that I looked evil....See my avatar, I don't look evil, do I ?
My hearing was just before lunch break and I got to watch this moron let people off for beating the hell out of one another, crushing their wives, etc...
He threatened to jail me for 90 days and I never said a word.
I tried to behave after that.
Some of these people need to get the hell off the bench and this sounds like one of them. I still hate that Judge and it has been many years. He nearly lost his place on the bench this last election and I registered to vote, just to get him out.
**** that idiot !

i agree...it is all political bs...i was threatened with jail time 3 years for possession of num chucks...they were seen in my car when i was stopped...come on...num chucks? it is legal to sell them, but not posses them? like i could do any serious damage with those...but if i had a baseball bat in my car or even a golf club, it would be okay...when the case was resolved one of the fricking cops gave them to his son...so it is okay for him to have them and not me?wtf is that?...instead of the 3 years i got a year probation...which is still ridiculous...they can do whatever they want and really go without any scrutiny

[PigSkinTerror13]

It's the revolving door justice system in America

They want to make an example out of law-abiding citizens with families who mess up in a small way, but let convicted child molesters go