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January 27, 2004
If You've Ever Wondered...
....what the trials I used to do were like, here's an unpublished appellate court opinion that is fairly typical. In fact, you might say I was intimately familiar with just such a case.
Of course, I'm prohibited by confidentiality and ethics rules from making any comments about any specific case in which I was involved**. But since this opinion is in the public record, I thought you might like to see why I firmly believe in court-ordered lobotomies for child molesters. Prison only puts them out of action for a relatively short time. Lobotomies last forever.
Like that would ever happen.
**But if you'll look in Section III, second paragraph, last sentence, you'll see why I think cross-examination of some witnesses can be so much fun. People said the damnedest (and most damning) things if you ask the right questions. And the preceding sentence illustrates how important it is to be able to elicit testimony from a child.
I'm particularly good at that.
Posted by Rita at January 27, 2004 09:29 AM
Comments
No, lobotomies probably aren't an option. :) However, wasn't chemical castration bandied about a few years ago? I seem to remember a judge offering chemical castration as an option to sexual offenders. Do you know if that's held up?
Posted by: TL Hines at January 27, 2004 02:38 PM
In cases like that one, I would advocate the lopping off of all limbs, and dumping the torso in a freezing lake.
Son of a bitch. I cannot abide such mistreatment of children.
Posted by: Keith at January 27, 2004 07:00 PM
You're my hero. Really, I'm not kidding ... I hope I get to do stuff like that someday.
I seem to remember you switched jobs because of the hours/pay? Maybe that's somebody else, though.
Posted by: Aaron Butler at January 27, 2004 10:11 PM
TL I don't know for sure but I think that is still occasionally a 'voluntary' option. The biggest problem with it is that it really does nothing to curb the drive to re-offend....and that an erection is not necessary to molest.
Keith I've certainly had that thought, but I think there's more deterrent effect in turning them into vacant, drooling idiots.
Shoot Aaron, there's nothing heroic about it. Just a dirty job that needs doing that I happen to have a talent for. I hope you do do it someday. We need more good lawyers doing it.
I am indeed in the process of switching jobs, due to the pay not the hours. In Oklahoma, the pay is set by statute at a whopping $800 limit per case. Average case lasts about 1 1/2 yrs., and involves countless hours of work. I ran the numbers once, and I was making around $5 an hour on an average case. Still, it's doable if you can maintain a high caseload. What eventually forced me to stop was that the court in which I worked had a dramatic drop in the number of cases filed and after the 2nd yr. of actually losing money I just couldn't afford to continue. (The drop in cases filed coincided with a new child welfare manager. But like my judge said, there certainly wasn't a drop in the need in the community. Hmmm.)
Posted by: Rita at January 28, 2004 06:18 AM