Sam, are you forgetting that Tommy admitted molesting Alex?
...
I'm not forgetting anything. Especially the part that professing guilt (whether guilty or not) was part of a plea bargain that the judge didn't accept. So now is a moot point as if it never happened...a lawyer tells me.
(snip)
Sam says: "...a plea bargain that the judge didn't accept"
Let's refresh our memories on why the judge rejected guilty plea agreement.
Fairfax judge rejects plea deal for man who admitted molesting 2 boys
Washington Post Staff Writer, By Tom Jackman; Monday, November 15, 2010
A Fairfax County judge rejected a plea agreement Monday for a former Fairfax church pastor who admitted molesting two boys in the 1990s because the agreement would not have not put the pastor behind bars.
Tommy R. Shelton Jr., 65, pleaded guilty in July to two felony counts of taking indecent
liberties with a child under his supervision.
(snip)
Shelton's attorneys and Fairfax prosecutors agreed to a deal: If Shelton pleaded guilty, he would be placed on probation with no jail or prison time. When the deal was presented to Fairfax Circuit Court Judge Randy I. Bellows, he told both sides, "I may ultimately reject
this agreement."
Then, after reading a sentencing memo Monday from Shelton's attorneys, the judge - a former federal prosecutor in Alexandria - said: "There's no expression of remorse. This submission doesn't even acknowledge that he committed the offense. . . . I've got a plea to two very serious charges that involves no jail time. And on top of it, I've got a defendant that's expressing no remorse, and I've got victims that are willing to participate in the litigation. [Both victims were in court, and one testified Monday.] I'm trying to understand why I would accept this agreement."
(snip)
(bolding of text added)
Judge Bellows rejected the plea agreement because the punishment did not fit the crimes that TS admitted to committing. There was no jail time and TS did not express ANY remorse.
Judge Bellows saw right through TS's selfish veil. TS had multiple chances to express true remorse, but according to the judge he did not. The judge read the sentencing memo submitted by the defense and expected remorse to be expressed, but only read about how hard this experience has been on TS. The judge had the opportunity to watch TS that day in court and previous dates. According to the WP article, the judge had the opportunity to watch TS during one of the victim's testimony that day and watch and listen to TS make a statement about how remorseful he was. Even with all of the opportunities, Judge Bellows saw NO REMORSE.
Sam says: "So now is a moot point as if it never happened..."
Moot point, huh? Moot point in an earthly court or a moot point according to God?
The judge rejecting the plea agreement did not cause the guilty plea to be withdrawn. This is left up to the defendant. After a judge rejects a plea agreement, a defendant has the choice to move forward and let the judge sentence him or her at that time. Or withdraw the guilty plea and and let a jury decide.
Withdrawing a guilty plea does not mean that the defendant is saying that he or she is not guilty. This only means that the guilty plea cannot be used by the prosecution and considered by the jury in the following trial.
Sam, any thoughts on my post above? I thought you would have responded by now. Or maybe you do not know how to respond when someone provides facts that dispute what you have claimed. Did my response hit too close to home? Why do you think TS has not been able to show any remorse? One of the WP articles said that he told one of his victims that their past sexual activities were "the type of relationship a father and son had." Does TS still hold this view? If so, this may explain why he has not been able to show or express any remorse.
I am interested in hearing your thoughts on this.
Here's my thoughts...
Most case in the U.S. end in plea bargains regardless of guilt or innocence, and this one was rejected so can not be used against Tommy Shelton, but you all believe what you want to and see only what you choose to regardless of the facts. You claim that Tommy Shelton admitted to the crimes, but showed no remorse, Alex claims "He admitted to what he did, and that is all I need to win this suit! (He's gonna need a lot more than that, his story is so inconsistant and contradictory it has more holes than swiss cheese)
And you bold texted the part from the November 2010 Washington Post article:
Plea deal rejected in molestation case saying""
There's no expression of remorse. but ignored the following, the Judge went on to say:
"
This submission doesn't even acknowledge that he committed the offense. . . . "
So you all claim he admitted guilt but
the court said he didn't.The same news article goes on to say:
Bellows asked Shelton whether he wanted to address the issue of accepting the plea deal. The former pastor stood.
"I am remorseful," Shelton said. "I tried to live a Christian life all my life. I obviously got off track for a while.
In the last 15 years, I've done everything in my power to live the way I should. I've kept myself away from young people. . . ."Think about it, if you can..
He still didn't acknowledge or admit he committed any offense.
He said the exact opposite.
He said "In the last 15 years, I've done everything in my power to live the way I should.
I've kept myself away from young people."
That makes sense if he was innocent. He was previously and falsely accused and so he wouldn't want to give any a reason to think he was guilty of anything in the future, so he kept himself away from young people to avoid the appearance of evil. "Young people" would include Dennis Turley and Alex Walker.
The past 15 years covers his entire time as Pastor of the Dunn Loring Church of God from 1995-2000 and it includes his employment after that at 3ABN...
No, he never admitted guilt, but you are all free to continue claiming that he did, and I am sure you will.