<p>Sick…and sick that the mom participated and allowed such things. What mother allows her husband to abuse her children?</p>
<p>Sick.</p>
<p>I just read that the judge/father will not be prosecuted as the statute of limitations has run out. I made myself watch the entire video and it made me sick. This man has some serious issues and so does his wife. I don’t care if she was abused by him - she allowed this man to beat their daughter. Both should be put in prison for a very long time.</p>
<p>Just saw an interview on Anderson Cooper with the daughter and the mother. This guy is an entitled and protected monster.</p>
<p>The piece also contained an interview with a fellow judge who praised this guy as an honest and fair judge. But he also added “He has some anger management issues.” And he said this with no hint of shame at all. </p>
<p>They govern, we are the governed. </p>
<p>The whole U.S. legal system, from the police, the prosecutors and the judges has become corrupt to its core.</p>
<p>I had an abusive stepmother. Fortunately, the marriage didn’t last that long. I don’t think I’m up for watching the video.</p>
<p>It sounds like it was a horrible beating that wasn’t a one time thing and now the dad says that he didn’t do anything wrong.</p>
<p>Well, when you’re an abuser, you often don’t see your actions as abusive. Abusers nearly always justify their behaviors. In his sick mind, the D had done something wrong and therefore deserved this level of punishment…heck why stop at extreme corporal punishment, why not give her the chair? </p>
<p>And, who the heck gets THAT ANGRY over finding out your child downloaded music for free? Why wouldn’t you just explain that it’s illegal because the artists aren’t getting rightfully paid?</p>
<p>He is not sorry. He doesn’t see what the big deal is. (Remember, when his daughter said she was going to post it, he told her to go ahead.) In every interview he says that he “disciplined” his kid because she did something wrong. He mentions in passing that he lost his temper, but he truly doesn’t understand that his behaviour was unacceptable. </p>
<p>To me, he seems to be insane, a psychopath, and a danger to those around him. His daughter says he needs help. I can’t argue with that!</p>
<p>I saw a comment on one of the articles about this case where one of the comments posted said “Waterboarding is illegal and this is legal? That doesn’t make sense.” I agree. </p>
<p>It is sickening that this guy is a family court judge and making decisions on who is a good parent and who is an unfit parent.</p>
<p>I wish he would be disbarred.</p>
<p>I only saw a few seconds, but heard the tape went on for 8 minutes. It’s not discipline, it’s abuse. And it is especially infuriating because I believe he was motivated out of his own interests as a judge. I hate to see parents use harsh “discipline” for an offense when the offense is more about the poor reflection on them than correcting the offense for the welfare of the child.</p>
<p>I heard there can not be state charges, but possibly federal charges brought against the father.</p>
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<p>In Texas, aren’t all the judges elected?</p>
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<p>Okay…but “getting back” by showing the world how he is behind closed doors. It’s not like it’s fabricated.</p>
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<p>Just because an abusive father is a judge doesn’t mean the whole legal system is corrupt. Statutes of limitations have been out there for a long time. Maybe there shouldn’t be a statute of limitations for child abuse, but that is something for the state legislature to decide. </p>
<p>Yes, judges are elected. They are elected almost strictly on party lines. The voting public cannot be expected to know what goes on behind the closed doors of any family, nor can the police, unless they are made aware. I haven’t heard that any member of the family reached out to police or Child Protective Services. Corruption would be if the police refused to prosecute or CPS refused to investigate, because he wa a judge. I don’t think there is evidence that that occured.</p>
<p>It is interesting to consider, however, how few child abusers are actually prosecuted. Many lose custody of their children, but I don’t recall prosecutions for assault that was not deadly or potentially deadly. </p>
<p>Corporal punishment still has a lot of support among certain religious groups. In my younger days, I used to listen to Christian radio stations…I remember a very soft spoken, sane sounding woman talking about child discipline. She took the proverb “spare the rod and spoil the child” so literally that she hit her kids with a dowel rod…she talked about the right size of rod to buy, so it wouldn’t be too thick or too thin.</p>
<p>There is a lot of defense on the web because of Christian teachings. There is a discussion on the ABA website between attorneys justifying this judge’s behavior because of Fundamentalist Christianity. Plus, seasoned attorneys are saying that much worse cases are lost than this one.</p>
<p>What about Africa and Islamic countries, where abuse of children and women aren’t questioned? This is just a drop in the bucket.</p>
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<p>That’s what I was implying with my question; i.e., how could the legal system be responsible for one judge who is elected, since the voting public doesn’t have access to the information that people who know him have. If he was known (as seems to be the case) by other judges as having an anger management problem, he would very possibly not have been nominated to the bench in a state where judges are appointed.</p>
<p>It seems like it would be easy to convict parents who beat their kids, of simple assault:</p>
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<p>First, a terrible comment that the statute has to add “including the person’s spouse” as if that was ever okay. </p>
<p>Second, I guess the issue is what happens to the kid after the conviction? A first (and I think even second) offense is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $4000, up to a year in jail, or both. So dad is filmed, is convicted, pays a $1000 fine and then…comes home and…? Begs his kid for forgiveness? Or beats his kid even more?</p>
<p>The foster care system can be bad and dangerous in itself, so it is a real balancing act of would the kid be better off with the abusive but not fatally abusive parent, or in foster care?</p>
<p>so it is a real balancing act of would the kid be better off with the abusive but not fatally abusive parent, or in foster care?</p>
<p>While the investigation of the parents suitability is undergone, the parent would have to have no contact or supervised contact. The abusive parent would also have to undergo a psychological examination & the parent remaining at home would also be encouraged to seek support for domestic violence.
( The children also would have support available to them)
I agree that the foster care system is broken, but there are supports available that might have diminished this behavior had it been reported earlier.</p>
<p>It really is bizarre that there is one category of persons you are allowed to hit with no legal consequences and that is your kids. If you slug an adult twice your size who cuts in line in front of you at the store, you will likely be prosecuted. But you can beat your kids pretty hard, on a pretty regular basis, and admit it, and say they need it, and you’re fine.</p>
<p>It would be an interesting study if it wasn’t so sickening. Employers used to be able to beat their employees, people could beat their household help, teachers could beat their students. And now it’s down to beating allowed in some schools on a limited basis and parents beating their kids.</p>
<p>THere is a line.</p>
<p>[Spank</a> your children and you’ll end up in jail | SILive.com](<a href=“http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03/spank_your_children_and_youll.html]Spank”>Spank your children and you'll end up in jail - silive.com)</p>
<p>There is a two part video up with the Anderson Cooper interview. AC read part of what the father has said to the daughter. She seemed genuinely surprised that his statement said she shouldn’t try to make this about being a “special needs” child and that she always got the medical help she needed for her problems. Why surprised? She said it’s the first time he’s ever admitted that she HAS a problem.</p>
<p>The most stunning part of the whole thing for me…believe it or not…is the police chief’s statement. He said : </p>
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<p>What planet does this man live on!!! Her father whipped the legs of a 16 year old who had balance problems and difficulty walking. That’s not relevant!!!</p>
<p>I know people who are missing arms and legs, and sometimes more than one, who aren’t “handicapped” “by definition” according to the police chief.</p>
<p>What this so-called Judge did is a manifestation of the authoritarian mentality* that is surprisingly common in the US despite the fact our society tends to condemn such mentalities when it applies to foreign societies/regimes we dislike. </p>
<p>What’s worse is that this mentality has long been accepted in certain pockets within US society and since 9/11, has been gaining wider acceptance in the larger US society. </p>
<p>IMO, this judge should not only lose his job and custody of his younger daughter, but also never be allowed to hold any position of power again. He should not have such positions in the US…an ostensibly pluralistic constitutional Republic.</p>
<ul>
<li>Characterized by an obsession with law & order, unquestioning obedience from perceived “inferiors”, and blind conformity to perceived prevailing social norms.</li>
</ul>
<p>What he did to his daughter is reprehensible. I watched about 30 seconds of the video and that was enough. That man deserves a good a$$ kickin’ (to put it in pseudo Texas terms) or, perhaps more civilized, to lose his job and do some community service time.</p>
<p>Oh, alright, I prefer the first alternative.</p>