June 21st, 2010, Fairfax, VA—Americans for Limited Government (ALG) President Bill Wilson today urged members of the United States Senate to “reject without reservation an avowed rapist, serial killer apologist for the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.”
“Robert Chatigny is a man who thought that a confessed rapist, serial killer of eight young women aged 14 to 25, Michael Ross, ‘never should have been convicted,’” Wilson said.
Chatigny’s controversial remarks were made at a last-minute hearing in 2005 he had convened wherein he granted a stay of execution for convicted rapist, serial killer, Michael Ross. In that hearing, Chatigny chastised Ross’ attorney, T.R. Paulding, and threatened to have his law license pulled for not more vigorously pursuing Ross’ defense.
Although the hearing was supposed to be examining Ross’ competence to waive his right to appeal, Chatigny opined, “looking at the record in a light most favorable to Mr. Ross, he never should have been convicted. Or if convicted, he never should have been sentenced to death because his sexual sadism, which was found by every single person who looked at him, is clearly a mitigating factor.”
In a letter to the U.S. Senate, Wilson wrote, “Ross had confessed to all eight rape-murders. Of course he should have been convicted. There was no question of his malice and cruelty, either, and yet for Chatigny, this was a mitigating factor that should have blocked the death penalty sentence. That is outrageous enough.”
Wilson’s letter continued, “But if there was any doubt as to Chatigny’s bias and personal interest in this case, the hearing Chatigny was presiding over had nothing to do with sentencing. It had to do with forcing Ross’ attorney to pursue a claim that Ross was not competent to waive his right to appeal the sentence.”
The letter closed, “Chatigny clearly wanted to keep Ross in the system. His bias exhibited in this case calls into question his temperament and impartiality as a judge, and should disqualify him. This nomination should be withdrawn.”
Wilson also cited that Chatigny’s “long history of acting sympathetically toward sex offenders.” As reported by the Washington Times, “[i]n 12 child-pornography cases, Judge Chatigny imposed a sentence either at or more lenient than the recommended minimum – with most downward departures involving sentences less than half as long.”
“In 2000, Chatigny even overturned Connecticut’s sex offender registry law,” Wilson noted.
The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to report Judge Chatigny to floor on June 10th for a full Senate vote.
Wilson concluded, “No right-thinking Senator should want to be associated with Robert Chatigny, let alone promote him to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals. Chatigny has made his career acting as an apologist for sex offenders. His conduct is so deeply offensive and disturbing to the American people that this nomination must be defeated.”
Attachments:
ALG Letter to U.S. Senate Against Judge Chatigny, June 21st, 2010.
“Editorial: Democrat Senate to Promote Rapist, Serial Killer Apologist to 2nd Circuit Court,” ALG News, June 21st, 2010.
ALG Nominee Alert, Robert Chatigny, March 2010.
###