Complaint Against Texas State Judge

[Briauna Jackson]

A teenaged girl was raped by a 20-year-old male, Sir Young, during the school day at Booker T. Washington High School while both were students.  She was 14 and he was 18.  The two both testified that she said “no” and “stop” several times before and during the rape.  The mother of a teenage rape victim will be filing a judicial complaint against the judge, Jeanine Howard, who gave her daughter’s attacker probation and publicly criticized the teenaged girl.  The mother, who is not being named to protect her daughter’s identity, argued that the rude judge violated her authority when she told The News in an interview that the young teenaged girl “wasn’t the victim she claimed to be.”  The mother argues it should be required that the judge be told that she was wrong. Jeanine Howard gave 20-year-old Sir Young – who admitted to rapping the teenager – five years delayed probation and took away the most common restrictions for sex offenders.  The mother argues that she does not just want her complaint to sit in a file folder, she wants something said directly to the judge.  The new judge, Democratic state District Judge Carter Thompson, will hold the hearing because the district attorney’s office requested that the conditions of Young’s probation be reconsidered.  Prosecutors insist that the judge add restrictions given to majority of sex offenders:  an evaluation, sex offender treatment, and orders that he stay away from children.  The previous judge, Jeanine Howard, did not incorporate any of those in the 20-year-old’s original probation terms.  At first, Howard insisted that Young volunteer 250 hours at a center, but he would not be welcomed.  Howard told The News that she gave Young deferred adjudication probation instead of prison because the girl had several sex partners, has a baby, and had agreed to have sex but did not want to do it at school.  The mother of the teenaged girl said that her daughter had never been pregnant and that the national media attention paid to the judge’s remarks shows her words were extremely inaccurate.

 

Reading this article has made me conclude that her statements should precipitate an investigation by the commission.  Jeanine Howard’s remarks about the teenaged girl’s sexual history were immensely improper and heartless.  If Howard wanted to explain the decisions she made in the case, she should have done it without exposing the victim to greater agony.  I agree that judge Howard needs better training to better educate herself about sexual assault to see the seriousness of what rape victims go through.  I believe that the Texas Supreme Court should completely remove the disrespectful judge from the bench.  

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/headlines/20140507-mother-plan...

[Kallie Roberts]

Reading this article makes me feel sick.  There is no (good) reason why this case is being handled the way that Howard has handled it.  The fact that Howard "exposed" the girl's sexual history, even though it was false, shows the lack of seriousness placed on this case by the judge.  It really doesn't matter whether or not this girl has a child, or has had many other relationships; the fact of the matter is that she did not consent, and therefore, it is rape.  Also, the man who did this to her is an adult by age and therefore, should be held responsible for his actions-not just put on probation.  He raped a minor, and should have the penalty of that.  Our justice system is in place in order that citizens would be held accountable for their actions, and so that citizens can be protected against heinous crimes, such as this.  However, I do not believe that justice has been served in this case.  Thankfully, a new judge will be assigned to the case, and hopefully, will be able to assign a sentence appropriate for the crime committed. 

Knowing this case has been handled so inappropriately concerns me for the future of America's justice system.  I am so thankful that the Lord has had grace to cover my sin, and He overlooks that!  However, God put in place government, and has mandated us to respect governments.  Justice has to be something sought earnestly for, and I am worried that it will no longer be a thing of importance in America.