Calif. judge says victims' body can prevent rape

[Sherman A1]

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California judge is being publicly admonished for saying a rape victim "didn't put up a fight" during her assault and that if someone doesn't want sexual intercourse, the body "will not permit that to happen."

The California Commission on Judicial Performance voted 10-0 to impose a public admonishment Thursday, saying Superior Court Judge Derek Johnson's comments were inappropriate and a breach of judicial ethics.

"In the commission's view, the judge's remarks reflected outdated, biased and insensitive views about sexual assault victims who do not 'put up a fight.' Such comments cannot help but diminish public confidence and trust in the impartiality of the judiciary," wrote Lawrence J. Simi, the commission's chairman.

Johnson made the comments in the case of a man who threatened to mutilate the face and genitals of his ex-girlfriend with a heated screwdriver, beat her with a metal baton and made other violent threats before committing rape, forced oral copulation, and other crimes.

http://news.yahoo.com/calif-judge-says-victims-body-prevent-rape-023033459.html

This guy apparently went to school with Todd Akin.

[peacebird]

1. Publically admonished? Why not removed from the bench?

[TahitiNut]

2. Can we remove him from the human species?

Such an abysmally STUPID and arrogant posture is beyond the pale.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. Clearly the judge does not understand law any better than physiology. Toss him out already! nt

[Honeycombe8]

7. +1. Once again, the minimum is done when dealing with wacko rightwingnut men. nt

[treestar]

19. My first thought too

These stories make me wonder about the judicial selection process.

[BainsBane]

4. It's even worse

The judge is a former sex crimes prosecutor. Imagine all the women he has used the legal system to violate. What a monster.

[Marrah_G]

10. Can you imagine all the women he told "it's your own fault"

[Not Sure]

5. Where do these idiots come up with this crap? n/t

[noamnety]

6. What the hell:

He's "a former prosecutor in the Orange County district attorney's sex crimes unit."

I know the men's and women's group both agreed as groups to stop using the phrase "culture of rape."
Is there a different phrase that's acceptable to describe when those in charge are protecting rapists and promoting a ... um ... society where rape is allowed?

[Marrah_G]

9. .............. omfg

[pink-o]

12. Orange County...

That's all we need to know.

[KansDem]

27. This reminds me of a greeting card I saw years ago...

On the cover it read, "Greetings from Southern California, home to one of the world's biggest amusement parks!"

You opened it expecting to see "Disneyland," but instead it read "Orange County"

[boston bean]

13. That's not accurate about the mens and women's groups....

no one in our group has agreed to such a thing...

[noamnety]

30. oooh, thanks

I'm not sure where I got that from now - I went back and checked and you're right. I mean I'm sure you know that, but I'm acknowledging it.

[Chemisse]

16. This is an individual, not a culture.

There are many such individuals out there, particularly among old, white, male right-wingers. But they will die out, literally, over time.

Rather than throw up our arms and declare there is an entire culture that is okay with rape, we should be loud and clear about stopping these individuals when they express their abhorrent opinions.

That is how change happens.

Starting a finger-pointing, gender-dividing war would only take us backwards as people adopt a defense posture.

[thucythucy]

29. It's an individual judge who made the statement, but

it's the California judicial system, and the public behind it, that is tolerating this judge continuing to hear cases, including rape cases, from the bench.

Yes, let's be loud and clear about stopping these individuals when they express their abhorrent opinions.

In this case, that would mean removing him from the bench, yes?

BTW, we can do both things at the same time. We can call for this man's removal from the bench (and from any other position of authority where he might deal with rape survivors) AND decry a society that seems to find it perfectly acceptable to elevate such people to a position of such power.

The two aren't mutually exclusive.

[Odin2005]

22. Orange fucking County. Predictable.

[Marrah_G]

8. Where do these people come from?

How is any person with so little basic knowledge put in a position of power anywhere?

[Rider3]

11. Remove him from the bench

His ignorance is dangerous to society.

[LisaLynne]

14. Why would anyone not report a rape?

Guys like this. Right here. He is not alone out there.

[Chemisse]

17. Each of these dinosaurs should be taken out of positions of power.

I shudder to think of the rape victims who must have been told by this guy that they 'brought it on themselves.'

[LisaLynne]

25. Yeah, it just makes me sick to think about it.

And yes, people like him should be in NO position of power.

[MADem]

15. I was wondering if the idiot was RELATED to Akin! What a jerk! nt

[pipewrench]

18. That Judge is absolutely fuc&%d up!

[Vietnameravet]

20. Further proof that evolution is real ..and sometimes works in reverse!

[Odin2005]

21. This asshole is a dick-head, literally!

[ProfessorGAC]

23. Couple of Absolutely Charming Guys

The ex-boyfriend is a fiend. The judge is an idiot.
GAC

[littlewolf]

24. I was going to ask how did Akin's DNA get all

the way out to CA. shesh

[gollygee]

26. He needs to be removed from the bench

He is obviously either a total misogynist OR ridiculously stupid, or I guess both. Regardless, he can't be trusted to make good decisions.

[spanone]

28. he must have gone to the todd akin school of 'legitimate rape'

[Initech]

31. I really wonder if the assholes who keep spewing this bullshit...

Are either covering up for their own crimes or crimes committed by family members. There's no other reason I can remotely think that would make these morons say such ugly hateful things when they know it doesn't make sense.