On the recordJune 15, 2016
I want to first thank my friend. I am very grateful to my friend from California, Congresswoman Speier, for having the idea and doing this. Powerful. As a former judge who heard cases like this, it is a powerful reminder of the evil or, as the poet said, the inhumanity of man to man. It is such an outrage. This was a special evening to bring attention to a grave injustice, so I am very grateful that Congresswoman Speier did what she did. It also brings to mind the fact that there is grave injustice. Nobody should get 6 months in prison for what was done in that case. In Texas, the minimum would be 5 years. I saw Judge Poe, a former district judge, also reading part of the statement of the victim in the case. And I just cannot imagine Judge Poe or myself giving a sentence anywhere close to 5 years. We would have been heading for the top, if not the top. It is just so outrageous. In considering an appropriate sentence, a judge--we were taught and the rule was--considered punishment just for what was done. You considered deterrence to the individual who committed the act. You considered general deterrence to the public at large and the message that would be sent with the sentence that was assessed. And you considered the protection of the general public. The sentence in this case was just outrageous beyond measure. It is no deterrence to the defendant, criminal actor. It is no general deterrence to the public at large.…
