On Monday August 26, Baugh handed down a sentence in a horrific rape case. The defendent, 54 yr old Stacey Rambold, stood accused of raping then 14 yr old Cherice Moralez. Rambold was found guilty, and given.. 30 actual days in jail. (The sentence was 15 years, with all but 31 days suspended.. and Baugh lopped off another day for time served)
Judge Baugh defended his sentence, saying that "I think that people have in mind that this was some violent, forcible, horrible rape, It was horrible enough as it is just given her age, but it wasn't this forcible beat-up rape," and claiming that Cherice was just as in control of the situation as Rambold was, because she was older than her chronological age when it came to sexual matters.
Cherice Moralez was not present at the sentencing, she took her own life in 2010, at age 16.
Now, let's take a minute to look at the cold, hard facts of this case, shall we? Who is REALLY to blame for the advancement of victim blaming in Montana?
Rambold was arrested in 2008, and charged with 3 counts of sexual intercourse without consent. (Legal mumbo jumbo for Rape)
It was later revealed, during a civil case Cherice's mother brought against the school district, that Rambold had been ordered in 2004 to have no physical contact or time alone with female students. That's right boys and girls, 4 years where a school knew they had a sexual predator in their midst and swept it under the rug.
In February 2010, 2 years after the rape(s), Cherice Moralez commits suicide. It is believed that the rape(s) at the hands of her teacher was the defining factor in her death. At the time of her suicide, the rape case was still pending.
The prosecutors had a problem with trying a man for rape when his victim was dead, so they offered Rambold a deal. (of course they did) He would get off scott free, if he would only attend some counseling and treatment program for the next 3 years. Naturally, our intrepid rapist and pedophile jumped at the chance!
Can you guess what happened next?
Cue December 2012, when it was noticed that Rambold wasn't exactly following along with the deal. He was hanging out with unsupervised minors, he wasn't going to meetings, (had been, in fact, kicked out of the program all together!) and he was shagging some sad bimbo who obviously had no idea (I hope not anyway) that her bed buddy was a rapist and a kiddy-diddler. So, he was sought out and arrested.
It has now been almost 5 years since his first arrest and almost 3 years since the death of Cherice Moralez.
Enter the honorable Judge G. Todd Baugh. He saw through the bluster and bullshit, handing down a sentence sure to finally allow the parents of Cherice Moralez a sense of closure and justice for their poor lost little girl. Judge G. Todd Baugh.. said Cherice was in control during the sexual encounters, said that she was mature in the ways of sex, and said that because she wasn't brutalized then it was ok. He then sentenced a rapist and a pedophile to physically serve 30, that's right 30, days in jail.
Now, the family of Cherice Moralez, along with Montana's NOW chapter and several victim's advocacy groups are calling for a review, sanction, and censure of Judge G.Todd Baugh. Rightly so. Unfortunately, Baugh was just the last in a long list of people that failed Cherice Moralez. The school district, the prosecutors, the legal system itself.. all allowed the rape of a young girl to go unpunished. Allowed that young girl to take her own life because of a monstrous act committed against her. The only one not adversely effected, was the criminal himself, Stacey Rambold.
So welcome Billings, Montana.. Yellowstone County.. and Judge G.Todd Baugh to the club, all showing that Rape Culture is alive and Thriving in America.
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