Texan Sentenced to Do 320 Hours of Needlework
WOAI.com ( San Antonio, Texas)
LAST UPDATE: 8/6/2005 10:53:40 AM
HARLINGEN, Texas (AP) - An ex-convict who pleaded no contest to sexually abusing
his daughter was sentenced to crochet afghans as part of the community service
requirement of his probation.
Despite an outcry over the seemingly lenient sentence, the prosecutor in the
case said he had been ready to dismiss it for lack of evidence.
During a dispute over custody of the child, Norma de la Torre accused her
ex-husband, Robert Wayne Thompson, of sexually abusing their 8-year-old
daughter. She filed civil and criminal cases against him.
Thompson had served five years in prison in Virginia for sexual assault.
But the criminal case became shaky when the girl told the judge in the civil
case that her mother had told her to say Thompson abused her.
So state District Judge Rose Guerra Reyna, in the criminal case, agreed to a
plea bargain in July that required Thompson to register as a sex offender, be
under probation - and spend 320 hours crocheting afghans.
Thompson likes to crochet - he's made numerous such small blankets for
wheelchair-bound patients at hospitals and nursing homes. Hidalgo County
District Attorney Rene Guerra said crocheting was chosen because Thompson is
disabled with a heart condition and couldn't do anything strenuous.
Dianne Clements of Justice for All, a victims' rights group, told CNN "The
judge lost her mind." The (McAllen) Monitor ran five letters critical of
the judge and received several more.
Guerra Reyna has not responded to critics of the sentence because the judicial
code prohibits her from speaking about it.
But a colleague, retired state District Judge Fernando Mancias, said she
considered it fair because no one could prove the allegations against Thompson.
De la Torre could not be reached for comment.
Thompson said he pleaded no contest in the criminal case at the advice of his
two public defenders.
"The judge just took it because it was presented by the district attorney,
and I accepted it," Thompson told The Associated Press.
His attorneys did not immediately return calls for comment.
Guerra, the prosecutor, said he couldn't prove the case.
"We have some conflicts in testimony and evidence." he said. "I
had authorized dismissal. My staff in lieu of dismissal put him under
supervision and he would also be required to register.
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Comment:
While matters don't get much more biased than this - note how all concerned ignored the child involved evidently being coached to lie to the Court - at least the disabled father somehow avoided jail time. - G.M.