3 Women 3 Ways

Did you know There's a U.S. district court judge in Alabama who was arrested in August after his wife called 9-1-1 crying and being audibly beaten by her husband? The police report says the good judge blodied the woman's face and legs and dragged her around the room by her hair. On top of that, his first wife reports he did much the same to her during their marriage. So what's happening? What happens much too often in these cases: he took a plea deal that requires him to see a counsellor once a week for 24 weeks and the whole thing disappears from his record. The community wants him out. The fact is, this man was appointed a judge for life and unless he resigns or is impeached by the U.S. congress, he will still be on the bench hearing cases involving domestic violence and other crimes. And he will sit in judgement of others while his own messy background goes away. Huh? That's right, no jail time, no conviction, even, eventually, no record of arrest. Is this a guy you want to stand before in a court of law? This week we are welcoming Staci Zaretsky, an editor of ABOVE the Law, and a contributor to other legal publications such as Judgepedia, Lawyerist, and Ms. JD. She's been featired on various TV and radio programs including CNBC's Power Lunch, HuffPost Live, and Chicago Public Radio. Staci is a gruaduate of Lehigh University and Western New England University School of Law. She has been published in the Western New England Law Review. She is going to help us figure out what this case is about, how it compares to other domestic violence cases, and what's going on with Judge Mark Fuller.