Welcoming Judge Cassell's Resignation

By Jeralyn, Section Judiciary
Posted on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 12:45:22 PM EST
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Sentencing Law and Policy first reported yesterday that Judge Paul Cassell of Utah is resigning from the federal bench to return to teaching and litigating on behalf of crime victims.

That's fine by me. His agenda has always been promoting victims' rights over those of defendants, eviscerating Miranda rights and pushing the death penalty, making light of false confessions and wrongful convictions.

That he wrote a good opinion in a child porn case finding application of the sentencing guidelines unconstitutional in that case, doesn't make up for the rest. He urged in another case that the guidelines be followed in all but exceptional cases and while he criticized the mandatory minimum 55 year sentence for Weldon Angelos, a 25 year old drug dealer, he imposed it anyway. (The Supreme Court later let the sentence stand.)

I bear no ill will towards Judge Cassell, but I'm glad he's going.

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Welcoming Judge Cassell's Resignation | 4 comments (4 topical)

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why not? (none / 0) (#1)
by cpinva on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 02:07:35 PM EST

I bear no ill will towards Judge Cassell

i bear ill will towards people who use their official position to promote an agenda at odds with justice.

he wasn't "just doing his job", he enjoyed it. screw him, and all of his fatuous DNA.

perhaps if more of us publicly bore these individuals ill will, they'd get the message.

being civilized doesn't mandate that you allow yourself, or your society, to be abused.

I hope that's not ... (none / 0) (#2)
by chemoelectric on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 10:30:25 PM EST

... bearing no ill will in that, like Moe Syzlak, you wish him no specific harm. :)

I'm glad that kind of guy is retiring, too, and the best thing that could happen isn't harm but an eye-opening. It's always nice when someone's eyes open up for the first time. Probably won't happen, though.

i do (none / 0) (#3)
by cpinva on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 03:24:54 AM EST

it's my hope that he gets a taste of his own medicine. perhaps, a minor felony, with his evil twin "skippy" cassell as the judge hearing the case.

his eyes, among other things, will be opened. with luck, someone will be there videotaping it.

classic Cassell... (none / 0) (#4)
by lawstudent on Sun Sep 23, 2007 at 06:57:35 PM EST

United States v. Esparza-Mendoza, 265 F. Supp. 2d 1254 (D. Utah 2003).

Anyone familiar with the above case? It's the one where Judge Cassell concludes that previously deported alien felons who reenter the country illegally have no fourth amendment rights. Apparently, they're not a part of "the People." Riiiiight.