Judge J Jurden
"A multimillionaire who pleaded guilty to raping his three-year-old daughter has been spared jail after a judge in Delaware ruled he would "not fare well" in prison.
Robert H Richards IV, heir to the du Pont chemical business, was given eight years' probation and ordered to seek treatment after he admitted to raping his three-year-old daughter in 2009.
Judge Jan Jurden ruled that Richards, 46, should not be handed a custodial sentence as he would "not fare well in Level 5 [prison] setting".
Details about the sentence only emerged after the defendant's former wife, Tracy, filed a lawsuit against him seeking compensation and punitive damages over the abuse of their daughter and his son.
According to the lawsuit, Richards admitted to assaulting his son and daughter between 2005 and 2007. Richards was originally charged with two counts of second-degree child rape, which carry a 10-year minimum sentence.
Richards hired one of Delaware's top defence lawyers, Eugene Maure, who won a plea bargain.
Richards avoided a jail term after admitting one count of fourth-degree rape – a lesser charge which carries no mandatory minimum jail term.
Delaware public defender Brendan O'Neill, told the Detroit Press: "It's an extremely rare circumstance that prison serves the inmate well.
"Prison is to punish, to segregate the offender from society, and the notion that prison serves people well hasn't proven to be true in most circumstances."
O'Neil added the sentence "raised questions" about the treatment of wealthy people by the justice system."
I won't insult you by going through the injustice and appalling sentence this is.
As this is in a US Court, there are no schemes as far as I am aware for appealing this ULS as there is in the UK.
However, there is a petition to fire the Judge, Jan Jurden, for this disgusting decision. You have the power. Sign this petition, share and RT all you can. This can not and will not be tolerated.
Link to petition here Petition to Fire Judge Jan Jurden
Thank you. This judge must go! The system was allowed to go terribly wrong in this case and we simply cannot allow this kind of decision to stand.
ReplyDeleteThank you DenverGal - agree fully that this judge has no place in any court. Position, power, a "name" and wealth is absolutely no excuse for being let off for raping a 3 year old ever.
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