MONTANA JUDGE G TODD BAUGH MUST RESIGN FOR BLAMING 14 YEAR OLD FOR HER RAPE 3SEP13

THIS IS DISGUSTING. Nobody should ever be blamed for being raped. Cherice Moralez was, by Judge g todd baugh, and she was only 14. But this judge's decision and his actions are especially heinous. Two years after being raped Cherice committed suicide, after never recovering from being raped. The people of Montana and the nation are justified in their outrage. To preserve trust in the judicial system the government of Montana must remove this fool from the bench before he inflicts harm on any other victim of any sexual crime who has the misfortune to appear before him. I hope you will sign this petition calling for the dismissal of this judge from his bench in Montana. And be sure to click the links and read the articles about this travesty of justice.

Something big is happening in Montana: Last week, hundreds of people gathered in Billings to protest Judge G. Todd Baugh's decision that the man who raped his 14-year-old student should only serve 30 days in jail. In his ruling, the judge made horrible comments blaming the girl for her own rape.¹

Montanans of all walks of life have stood up to put a stop to victim-blaming and rape culture, calling on Judge Baugh to resign. The outrage over this case shows just how fed up people are with a culture and legal system that tolerate sexual violence--and the UltraViolet community has been at the forefront of this effort. Since this story broke, more than 63,000 UltraViolet members have signed the petition asking the state's court system to disrobe Judge Baugh.

We're working with local organizers in Montana to deliver the petition to the Montana Judicial Standards Commission in the next few days. If we can get to 75,000 signatures before that, we'll send a message they can't ignore. Can you add your name today?

Add your name.

Thanks for speaking out.

--Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Karin, and Malinda, the UltraViolet team

Sources:

1. Hundreds rally to protest Montana judge over 31-day rape sentence, Reuters, August 29, 2013

P.S. Here's the original email we sent last week about this case and Judge Baugh's horrible ruling:

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Judge G. Todd Baugh sentenced a man to 30 days in jail for raping a 14-year-old girl and then blamed the girl for her own rape. Can you sign the petition demanding that Montana's Judicial Standards Commission and Supreme Court remove him from the bench? Click Here

Dear Craig,

Cherice Moralez was just 14 when her 49-year old teacher repeatedly raped her. Two years later, Cherice committed suicide--and according to her mother, the trauma of rape was a major factor in her death.¹

But on Monday, 5 years after the rape, Billings, Montana Judge G. Todd Baugh sent her rapist to prison for just 30 days. In his ruling, he justified the light sentence because he said the victim was “as much in control of the situation” as her rapist and that she was “older than her chronological age.”²

THIS is rape culture at its worst: when our courts can let a man who raped a child go free after just days in jail and then blame the child for her own rape.

Judge Baugh’s statement has made national news, and outrage in Montana is growing. Under Montana law, the Judicial Standards Commission and Supreme Court can suspend judges.³ And the pressure is mounting on authorities to act--this morning, hundreds of Montanans are expected to protest in downtown Billings.⁴ If tens of thousands of us from all over the country join with local protesters and speak out, we can make sure that the Montana courts disrobe Judge Baugh so he can never let a rapist off the hook again. Can you sign the petition?

Sign the petition demanding that Judge Baugh be removed from the bench.

Cherice Moralez’s mother was in the courtroom when the Judge blamed her daughter for her own rape. “I guess somehow it makes a rape more acceptable if you blame the victim, even if she was only 14,” she said in a written statement after the sentencing.⁵

Originally, Judge Baugh gave the rapist, Stacey Rombard, no jail time at all, sending him to a sex offender rehabilitation program instead. Rombard was back in court after violating the rules of the program--including the provision that bans him from having contact with children.⁶ But Judge Baugh thought he still shouldn't serve his full sentence, suspending all but 31 days and giving him a credit for one day he had already served.

Rape is an epidemic in this country--1 in 5 women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape.⁷ But less than half of all rape cases are reported, and only 3% of rapists spend a single day in jail.⁸ No wonder so many survivors don’t come forward when the justice system seems stacked against them and a judge can blame a survivor for the attacks against them instead of the actual rapist.

A judge who thinks a 14-year-old girl is to blame for her own rape should not be on the bench. Pressure is mounting in Montana for the court system to do something about this quickly. If we all speak out, we can make sure Judge Baugh is suspended and can never rule on a case like this again. Will you sign the petition?

Add your name.

Thanks for speaking out.

--Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Malinda, and Karin, the UltraViolet team

Sources:

1. Montana judge criticized for 31-day sentence for ex-teacher who raped teen, Reuters, August 28, 2013

2. Ibid.

3. Methods of Judicial Selection: Removal of Judges, American Judicature Society

4. Montana judge criticized for 31-day sentence for ex-teacher who raped teen, Reuters, August 28, 2013

5. Mont. Judge Apologizes for Comments in Teen's Rape, Associated Press, August 28, 2013

6. Ibid.

7. Nearly 1 in 5 Women in U.S. Survey Say They Have Been Sexually Assaulted, New York Times, December 14, 2011

8. Reporting Rates, Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network