Vermont Justice

Vermont Justice

By: Bill O'Reilly for BillOReilly.com
Thursday, Jan 19, 2006


Ralph Page is a problem. The 35-year old Vermont man has twice been convicted of drunk driving, and now faces charges of theft and assaulting his girlfriend. He's a typical low-level offender who shuffles around causing trouble and clogging up the justice system.
On January 17th, Page ambled into Judge Patricia Zimmerman's courtroom to answer charges that he punched a woman in the face. Apparently, Page did not like hearing the charges against him and screamed out "this is effing bull----." That annoyed Judge Zimmerman, who promptly found Page in contempt of court and sentenced him to 60 days in a Vermont jail.

Nothing wrong with that, but listen to this: That 60-day sentence is the same amount of jail time another Vermont judge, Edward Cashman, awarded 34-year-old Mark Hulett. But it is here where the Vermont justice system collapses. Incredibly, Hulett pled guilty to a variety of felony sexual assault charges against a six-year-old girl. Over a period of four years, Hulett, a friend of the girl's mother, confessed to raping the child in her own home. It was a methodical and brutal series of actions on Hulett's part, and it has devastated an innocent little girl.

But when it came time to sentence Hulett, Judge Cashman suspended all but 60 days of a potential life prison stretch, because Cashman wanted Hulett to get "treatment." At sentencing, the Judge said: "I keep telling prosecutors, and they won't hear me, that punishment is not enough."

So here's justice in the state of Vermont: Cursing at a judge merits the same prison time as repeatedly raping a six-year-old girl.

If Hulett had committed the same crime in Florida, he would now be serving 25-to-life in the penitentiary because that state has passed mandatory minimum sentences for felony battery on children. But Vermont has no such minimums. So Mark Hulett, child rapist, is set to walk free on March 4th.

The philosophy of our nation is "equal justice under the law." Obviously, the abused little girl and her family did not get justice by any measure. Clear-thinking people understand that true justice requires that the punishment fit the crime.

But Judge Cashman does not understand that. His sympathies are with the rapist, and he did not even attempt to hide that fact. Because of Cashman's outrageous sentence, you would think Vermonters would be calling for his gavel and robe.

You would think. But you'd be wrong.

Most of the state's liberal newspapers are supporting Cashman. The far-left Brattleboro Reformer editorialized: "Lengthy jail terms without rehabilitation will not accomplish anything."

Really? How about keeping child rapists away from children? Doesn't a lengthy prison term accomplish that?

Vermont's shameful story is being played out in other places as well. But it is in this tiny state, the second-least-populated behind Wyoming, that a horrendous violation of human rights is taking place.

Yet we have heard nothing from former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, or Senators Leahy and Jeffords, or social activist Ben Cohen of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, which is based in the Green Mountain State.

Also, current Vermont Governor Jim Douglas, a Republican, is nowhere to be found on the issue, and the ACLU is silent as well.

Meantime, an abused little girl will likely live out her life in anguish and confusion, her low-income family is devastated, and the crazy left media believes Judge Cashman is the victim of unreasonable "demagogues."

They say the skiing is great this winter in Vermont. But I'm not going. There's something in the air there that I cannot abide.

Howdy Y'all,

It doesn't surprise me much,that the liberals of Vermont,have failed this little girl and her family..and the repubs ain't doing much better,either.

This situation is exposing and high-lighting the fact that liberals don't believe in justice for the victims of crime and that they believe that the criminal's rights and needs,should be addressed over that of the victim. Liberal judges that don't believe in punishment,have contributed to the expansion of crime and recidivism..they make excuses for the criminal and punish the victims and their family's,even further.

The entire State of Vermont-should be ashamed and appalled and the judge should be kicked to the curb. A boycott of Vermont is in order-in order to put pressure on the Vermont legislature and govenor,by their constituents.

If the girl had gotten pregnant,you can rest assured,that the liberals at the Planned Parent-hood facility,would have given her an abortion,without informing the parents or the authorities,that a little girl was being preyed upon by a demented pervert. Such is the price of liberalism-I reckon..we should just accept casualties like this little girl and move on..NOT !!!

I'm sure that everyone here,is appalled by this situation,but others on the far-left,believe that the treatment of the child rapist-is more important than the little girl..there's only one sure way to keep the bastard from doing this again,life in prison..or death.

What say y'all ?

Have a good one ....

Yep, its a sad day when Liberals believe the People who Rape Young children should have more rights than the children themselves. I hope these people burn in hell

Do you all have your brownshirts on.......Quislings

Yes, clearly we must all become nazis or condone child molestation, there is no middle ground.

By the way I was speaking to Myth since he was saying liberals are the cause of this and should burn in hell-

Justice is not familiar with terms like liberal, conservative, democan or republicrat. No doubt that this case is truly a travesty of justice and that judge should be removed from the bench and never allowed to practice law in any state ever. We all know this but it's not what you know but who you know in America today. This is evidenced by this case as well as that asshole senator in SD who was recently given back his license to practice law after serving about 6 months for killing another person because he believea he is entitled to drive however he wants to. (can't recall the name at this moment) And what about all of those so called conservatives who felt that they had to get involved in the Schiavo case but are silent about this little girl? I understand your outrage on this one Torag but don't blame it on liberals or conservatives since the only time they will even concern themselves with issues such as these is if it will somehow benefit them or their campaigns. Other than the spelling, there is no difference between liberal politicians and conservative politicians. Their only concern is for themselves and their cake jobs and their power trips and their pensions. I am so sick of the entire political climate in our country. One for one and fuck the rest.
Once again I say, if you see and incumbent on the ticket, vote for anyone else and get rid of the career politicians like Helms, Kennedy, etc.

Thats nothing, what about the child rapist who got 6 months probation for raping three kids under 13 years old? Vermont is gone.

Well as I said in the thread about this little girl and the stupid ass judge, we can only hope that in the short 60 days that rapist is in jail, someone decides that the rapist has to go and he gets whacked in the jail. I'd bet the cons for the most part loathe a child rapist enough to kill him before he gets out. :thumbsup:

And how much time in jail will we get for smoking a joint? :confused:

I agree, however they usually house those folks in AD-Seg by themselves.