Texas Judge Who Sentenced Admitted Rapist To Shockingly Unacceptable Punishment Has Recused Herself


Texas District Judge Jeanine Howard sentenced an admitted rapist to work at a rape crisis center. Inquisitr recently reported about the controversial sentence and the public outrage. The judge dealt rapist Sir Young an unusually light sentence for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Judge Howard sentenced him to only 45 days in jail, 5 years of deferred probation and 250 hours of volunteering at a rape crisis center. Strangely, while on probation, the convicted rapist will also have to serve two days in jail every October 4, the anniversary of the day of the sexual assault. Young’s odd sentencing stated that, unlike most sex offenders, he does not have to avoid children, attend sex offender treatment, be evaluated, or refrain from watching pornography. Once he completes his probation, the conviction could be wiped from his record completely. Needless to say, rape crisis centers weren’t interested in volunteer work by a convicted, admitted rapist.

Judge Howard said that while the girl resisted sex with Young, she did want to have sex with him at some point, just not at the school. Apparently, that desire made the non-consensual sex with a minor less offensive to the Texas judge. The girl’s sexual history also somehow factored into the lenient sentence: Medical records showed that the girl was not a virgin when she was forcibly raped. The judge also said publicly that the victim had been pregnant once, though the girl’s mother was livid and denied the accusation. The victim and her rapist both testified that she had told Young “stop” and “no” numerous times before and during the sexual assault. According to the rapist’s own statement, he forcibly sexually assaulted the girl:

“She kept saying ‘no’ & ‘stop’ but I just didn’t stop. Even when I put my penis in she would say ‘no’ & ‘stop’,” Young wrote. “I went to go get some tissue because she had started bleeding. I thought I had stolen her virginity or hurt her or something.”

Given that no rape crisis center will have him, a substitution needs to be made in the sentencing. Facing significant backlash from the light sentence though, Judge Howard recused herself from the case Friday night. Judge Howard declined to comment on recusing herself from the Sid Young sentencing debacle. Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins hopes that the new judge will restrict the terms of probation for Sir Young. “I feel as if the judge blamed the victim, which is never appropriate in sexual assault cases and especially in this one where the defendant pled guilty,” Watkins told Dallas News. “I am relieved the judge recused herself from the case, so the district attorney’s office can move forward and continue fighting for the victim.”

Do you think the new judge assigned to the Texas rapist’s case will be able to find suitable community service for Sid Young’s sentence?

[Courthouse photo by Steve Rainwater]

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