Judge Recuses After Questioning Rape Victim, 14
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) -- A Dallas County judge has removed herself from a rape case after telling a newspaper she thought the 14-year-old victim wasn't "the victim she claimed to be."
State District Judge Jeanine Howard voluntarily recused herself Friday from the case of Sir Young, a 20-year-old man who pleaded guilty to raping the girl in 2011. Howard ordered Young to serve 45 days in jail and gave him 5 years probation -- a sentence considered light by most standards.
The judge then told The Dallas Morning News that the sentence was light in part because the victim wasn't a virgin. She also said the girl "wasn't the victim she claimed to be.''
Howard also pointed to medical records that she said show the girl had three sexual partners and gave birth to a baby _ which the girl's mother denies.
Her comments sparked a furor and were followed by her recusal a day later.
A phone message left at Howard's courtroom wasn't immediately returned.
In a handwritten confession, Young admitted that his victim said "no" repeatedly. He also admitted to apologizing to his victim and asking her to remain quiet about the incident.
(©2014 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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