Via the New York Times, a New Jersey judge has been rebuked by an appeals court for showing bias toward privileged teenagers. Judge James Troiano of Superior Court said during a rape trial last year, “This young man comes from a good family who put him into an excellent school where he was doing extremely well. His scores for college entry were very high.” (Oh yeah, he was an Eagle Scout, too.)
Prosecutors wanted him tried as an adult because the 16-year-old's behavior was “sophisticated and predatory.”
The accused sent a text to his friends: "When your first time having sex was rape."
After the assault, prosecutors said, G.M.C. left the room, but some of his concerned friends checked on her. Mary was found on the floor vomiting, and she was driven home by a friend’s mother.
When Mary woke up the following morning, she was confused about her torn clothing and bruises on her body, and told her mother she feared “sexual things had happened at the party” without her consent, court documents said.
Over the next several months, she learned that G.M.C. had shared the video among friends, but, when confronted, he denied recording the encounter and said the friends were lying, according to court documents.
Eventually, Mary learned that the boy had continued to share the video, prompting her mother to contact the authorities and ultimately pursue criminal charges in 2017.
The appellate panel was less sympathetic to the accused rapist. They wrote that the judge "overstepped" on the prosecutors' request, making his own assessment of the boy’s culpability and considering the defendant’s prior good character.
“His consideration of these elements, however, sounded as if he had conducted a bench trial on the charges rather than neutrally reviewed the State’s application,” the panel said.
The family court judge also said the victim "should have been told" that pressing charges would destroy the accused’s life.
I read these cases over and over, and I make my own assessment: Namely, that these judges identify with the accused and not the victims. After all, girls are sluts and boys are the real victims -- at least, when you're rich and white.
