Criminal Justice
Judge orders new hearing for man given 30 days in controversial teen rape case
Castigated for having sentenced a former teacher convicted of raping a 14-year-old who subsequently committed suicide to only 30 days in jail, a Montana judge now says he made have made a mistake and has ordered a new hearing on Friday.
But it appears that District Judge G. Todd Baugh may not have the power to change the sentence for Stacey Dean Rambold and impose what he now says is a mandatory two-year minimum prison term, according to the Associated Press and CNN.
Yellowstone County Attorney Scott Twito says such errors can only be corrected on appeal.
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Ex-teacher gets 30 days for rape of girl, 14; judge says she was ‘older than her chronological age’”
