US District Judge Samuel Kent has been convicted of obstruction of justice for lying about his sexual misconduct toward at least two female members of his staff and was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison. Even though he'll be in jail, he gets to keep his $174000 annual salary unless he is impeached by Congress. The two staffers that came forward testified at his sentencing trial and yesterday provided testimony before Congress on the assaults they have endured for years.
The humiliation of the events themselves coupled with the emotional trauma from testifying in public twice to ensure this Judge is stopped should be more than enough to support impeachment. Why this went on for as long as it did until these women came forward isn't an issue and so far it hasn't been. I say this as it was the first thing I thought of although not as a means of defending the offense. Being male naturally disqualifies me as any judge of the torment suffered by the victims. My disgust for the crime and the added insult of continuing to pay the judge becomes relevant to me when I put myself in the position of the husband, son, or father of either victim. My respect and appreciation of their courage comes from the same comparison.
I've gotta ask why any congressionally appointed official doesn't automatically lose their salary and pension when convicted of a felony?
