Brickbat: Victim Impact

Adam Jones PhD

Gregory Wallace and another man burst into the Kentucky home of Jordan and Tommy Gray and robbed them and their three-year-old daughter at gunpoint. But at Wallace's sentencing hearing Judge Olu Stevens singled out the Grays, not Wallace, for criticism. Wallace and his partner are black, and the Grays noted in their impact statement their daughter still reacts in fear to black men. Stevens said those remarks offended him and accused the parents of fostering racist behavior in their daughter. He sentenced Wallace to five years probation.

Comments

[straffinrun]

The girl was sentenced to bed without possibility of pizza.

[Enjoy Every Sandwich]

Unless she attends a gay wedding.

[Charles Easterly]

"Unless she attends a gay wedding."

Will she need to bring cake as well?

[Enjoy Every Sandwich]

And a photographer.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Judge Olu Stevens blasted Jordan and Tommy Gray's victim impact statement at a court hearing in February and again recently in a Facebook post he later deleted.

Ah, the old ill-considered, later-removed social media rant. The sign of a thoughtful jurist.

[Swiss Servator...burn B??gg!]

I imagine a complaint to the Kentucky Conduct Commission might be on its way.

[Almanian!]

I understand they posted a complain to the Commission's Facebook page...

[Swiss Servator...burn B??gg!]

I thought you had to Tweet complaints in KY?

[Almanian!]

I should have expected as much from those moonshining micreants...

Doesn't SugarFree reside there? That explains a lot...

[db]

Wait, what each am I missing here that justifies probation as a punishment for armed kidnapping? Who was the "[other] man?" Was Wallace just along for the ride or coerced in some way that could possibly legitimately mitigate his participation? Need more info.

[Charles Easterly]

db: "Wallace and his accomplice, Marquis McAfee, both 27, were arrested about three weeks after the robbery. Both pleaded guilty and McAfee, who was on probation for a prior crime, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, which he is serving."

http://www.courier-journal.com...../25581605/

[Crackers Boy]

Check your privilege, db... that will explain it.

CB

[Radioactive]

I checked my privilege, it's still there and working fine thank you very much...I'll check it again in 6 months or 3000 miles which ever comes first, (or according to the manufacture's recommendations)

[UnCivilServant]

I checked and found that I have none.

[Almanian!]

The fact that you believe that just shows how much you have, Privilegthuglihadist

[UnCivilServant]

Your faith disturbs me.

[Almanian!]

Faith No More

[Charles Easterly]

-1 to everyone associated with the video for cruelty to fish

[Almanian!]

+1 80's

[Rich]

"Midlife Crisis" live

[Rufus J. Firefly]

This dink made it about himself.

That's stellar judge material right there.

[Libertarian]

That the Grays listed their daughter's fear as an adverse effect of the break-in tells me that they are NOT bigots. They see it as a harm, not as a positive thing.

[Enjoy Every Sandwich]

Yes, but they committed the Great Crime against Social Justice: they noticed reality.

[Rich]

Stevens ... accused the parents of fostering racist behavior in their daughter.

I trust the parents will be suing Stevens for slander and defamation.

[Rich]

Stevens ... accused the parents of fostering racist behavior in their daughter.

I trust the parents will be suing Stevens for slander and defamation.

[Almanian!]

Oh, but, no, this case and all the other examples we see every day don't indicate that this society is utterly FUCKED. No, not at all...

DOOOOOOOOOOOM

[Matrix]

Children have different reactions to different traumatic experiences. My girlfriend has an irrational fear of bearded men because of a traumatic childhood experience.

Some children will develop an irrational fear of all people of one gender or another because of traumatic experiences. They may fear people of a certain build, or a certain complexion, or certain facial hair, or a certain ethnicity because of something that happened to them. This is not at all surprising that a little girl would be affected in such a manner. She needs therapy and time to overcome her irrational fear. Her parents certainly do not deserve to be admonished by this stupid judge.

[Heroic Mulatto]

Stevens said those remarks offended him and accused the parents of fostering racist behavior in their daughter. He sentenced Wallace to five years probation.

5 years probation for a fucking home invasion? That would foster racist behavior in me.

[Charles Easterly]

My girlfriend's niece outgrew her fear of bearded men only after knowing me for the several years I dated her aunt, whom she loved and trusted very much.
I agree with most everything you've so cogently written here, Matrix, except that I think the parent's positive influence and new experiences might be sufficient to overcome the daughter's natural reaction to the trauma she experienced. Evens so, therapy may be in order; we all react to and recover from experiences differently.

[straffinrun]

Yep. The scolding from the judge though could have the benefit of instilling a fear of govt in her. She'll get scolded in school for that.

[Lord Humungus]

I blame our slave-holding Founding Fathers /Boderpalicious

[Almanian!]

I blame Governor Snyder

/all Michigan Dems

[Charles Easterly]

From the article: "But at Wallace's sentencing hearing Judge Olu Stevens singled out the Grays, not Wallace, for criticism"

Actually, Mr. Oliver, this is incorrect: "? I am also outraged that anyone would go into anyone's home and commit a violent offense like this. That's outrages also. This little girl certainly has been victimized, and she can't help the way she feels...."

Source: http://www.courier-journal.com...../25581605/

[Rich]

It's outrages all the way down!

[Rich]

It see the webpages of the "judge" have been suspended.

Maybe he will be, too.

[Catatafish]

Asked my buddies back in Louisville/Lex/BG about it and they said that he, despite everyone constantly talking about his bright political future, continues to pick nonsensical fights with the Commonwealth Attorney's office, the Public Defender's office and now, apparently, actual victims. I'd met him a few times while clerking for another JeffCo judge in law school and he was a very nice guy. Just goes to show you that "nice" ain't everything.

[Robert]

Lemme get this straight: The parents are disturbed by their 3 YO daughter's anti-black bigotry, which stemmed from this guy's home invasion & stickup. It's messing up their relationship w their black friends, & they don't want to raise a bigoted child. So that's part of their victim impact.

The judge is offended that they alleged that effect, and that the parents are "allowing" their child to be bigoted?! The parents are complaining about bigotry as a result of the crime, & the judge is complaining about their complaint!