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William H. Follett
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William H. Follett is a judge of the Superior Court of Del Norte County in California. He said in 2017 that he will not run for re-election in 2018.[1][2]
Noteworthy cases
Follett presided over the trial of Nolan Bruder. Bruder was charged with raping his 16-year-old sister in July 2016 after giving her a concentrated form of marijuana, and he pleaded guilty in April 2017.[3][4] Prosecutors recommended Bruder be given six years in prison without probation, but Follett sentenced him to three years of probation and 240 days in county jail.[3][5] The Del Norte Triplicate reported that Follett believed Bruder felt remorse and was unlikely to commit another offense.[6]
The sentence drew criticism for being too lenient, and there were calls for Follett's removal from the bench. U.S. Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas), the founder and cochair of the Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus, said on the House floor, "Sexual assault is never the fault of the victim, contrary to what Judge Follett thinks. Judge Follett got it wrong. He got it wrong in this case, and it’s time for him to pack his toothbrush and leave the bench. And that’s just the way it is."[7] A Change.org petition to remove Follett has also circulated.[8]
California passed a law in 2016 requiring stricter punishments in cases involving sexual assault of an unconscious or severely intoxicated victim.[9] Follett was not bound by that law in the Bruder case because the assault occurred before the new law was in place, although Loyola law professor Laurie Levenson told the Los Angeles Times that the previous law did leave Follett the discretion to hand down a stricter sentence.[3]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ California Courts, "Trial Courts Roster," accessed November 11, 2016
- ↑ KRCR News, "Controversial Del Norte County Judge Follett Will Not Seek Re-Election," May 31, 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Los Angeles Times, "Light Sentence in Northern California Rape Case Called 'More Egregious than Brock Turner,'" May 25, 2017
- ↑ NBC News, "Outrage at Four-month Sentence for Man Who Raped Sister, 16," May 25, 2017
- ↑ Facebook, "Del Norte County District Attorney on May 17, 2017," accessed May 30, 2017
- ↑ Del Norte Triplicate, "Bruder Gets County Jail Time, Probation, for Rape by Use of Drugs," May 18, 2017
- ↑ KRCR, "Texas Congressman Calls for the Removal of Del Norte County Judge," May 25, 2017
- ↑ Change.org, "Remove Judge William H. Follett from His Seat," accessed May 30, 2017
- ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Spurred by Brock Turner Case, Gov. Jerry Brown Signs Laws to Toughen Laws Against Rape," September 30, 2016
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