#todd baugh

BILLINGS, Mont. — A Montana judge under fire for his comments about a 14-year-old victim in a schoolhouse rape case has ordered a new sentencing hearing for the former teacher who received just 30 days in prison for the crime.

In setting the hearing for Friday afternoon, District Judge G. Todd Baugh said Tuesday that state law appears to require a two-year mandatory minimum prison term for Stacey Rambold, 54, of Billings.

Rambold last week was sentenced to 15 years with all but 31 days suspended and a one-day credit given for time-served. He began serving his monthlong term last week at the state prison in Deer Lodge.

"In the Court's opinion, imposing a sentence which suspends more than the mandatory minimum would be an illegal sentence," Baugh wrote.

But in a strange twist, Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito said Baugh may lack authority to impose a longer sentence at this point. That's because state law says an illegal sentence must be handled through the appeal process.

The judge has faced widespread condemnation from women's rights activists, elected officials and others for the light sentence and for saying Rambold's 14-year-old victim, Cherise Moralez, was "older than her chronological age" and asserting that she had some control over her months-long relationship with Rambold.

The judge later apologized for his comments, although activists who have called for him to resign said an apology is not enough.

Moralez killed herself before Rambold's case came to trial. That left prosecutors without their main witness and led them to strike a deal with Rambold that allowed him to avoid prison until he violated the terms of his court-ordered release.

Court records show the sentence Baugh handed down was in line with what Rambold had requested.

It is astonishing how much this country's institutions are failing its citizens, at I think every level -- at least every level that I've watched. 

Today, I'm reading about the Montana judge, Todd Baugh, who not only shortened a convicted rapist's sentence to just 30 days, but further spit on the memory of the 14-year-old rape victim by basically saying she was asking for it. 

Thankfully, there is national outrage over Baugh and calls for his resignation from office. I signed the MoveOn petition for that and I hope he can be removed before he does further harm. 

So I'm reading about this on ABC, CNN, The Guardian. And I go on the NYTimes homepage, search for Montana, and search for Todd Baugh, and there is nothing.

No story, no brief, no blog post at all about this.

Wow. I guess the NYTimes editors don't consider this "all the news that's fit to print." This is such an astonishing fail from what's supposed to be this country's foremost institution for news. 

Disappointed at the justice system. Disappointed at traditional journalism. Just disappointed at the "adults" running this country in general. 

Wondering when things are going to get better/what it will take to remove these idiots from power/how change is going to come.