HELENA, Mont. (AP) – A judge who faces suspension for saying a 14-year-old girl appeared “older than her chronological age” during her rapist’s sentencing said he believes the penalty is unwarranted and proposed the Montana Supreme Court withdraw it.
Judge G. Todd Baugh suggested the court relied on incomplete media reports in ordering the 31-day suspension on top of the public censure recommended by the state Judicial Standards Commission. The sanctions were for comments Baugh made last year in sentencing Stacey Rambold to 30 days in prison – which the state Supreme Court found too lenient before assigning the case to another judge for re-sentencing.
He illustrated his point in a response filed Friday to the Supreme Court order by referring to news reports that said the victim committed suicide in 2010 before the case against Rambold, her former teacher, was tried.
There was no evidence the girl committed suicide because of the crime, Baugh wrote. The girl’s mother has said the teen’s death was driven largely by the rape.
“I do not fault the media for they, as do most businesses, present what their customers think they want. In today’s world of the Internet, what the customer thinks he wants is 24/7, sensational sound bites, and that is what is provided,” Baugh wrote. “So be it. However, for courts to rely on such is disconcerting, to say the least.”