Robert Smith: “I simply rise to say that Judge Aiken has admitted that early in her career that was a judgment she made, under the…”

“I simply rise to say that Judge Aiken has admitted that early in her career that was a judgment she made, under the statute and within the guidelines, and that in hindsight she would have made a different decision. I simply say that to judge her entire career on the basis of this one case would not be fair. It would not be fair to her, would not be fair to my State, and I think would not be fair to the judicial system of the United States. I think Caren Tracy, who has served as a local prosecutor in many cases in Judge Aiken's courtroom best describes her strict sentencing practices by stating, ``With regard to crimes of violence, violations of trust relationships, and crimes against children, Judge Aiken delivers sentences that include periods of incarceration that are significantly longer than any other judge on the Lane County Circuit Court Bench. She has a mastery of the Oregon sentencing guidelines which enables her to ensure maximum incarceration for individuals deserving of such sentence. Sentences of thirty to forty years for child sex offenders and criminals who commit acts of violence are the norm for her courtroom.”