Now the Stuart Hall case is over.....

[cee-dee]

I wonder if anyone else thinks the road to Justice has had far too many twists and turns put in to it making for a considerable waste of time and money?

The trial was concluded and today was a sentencing hearing so why did it take so long to get to the point?

The prosecution and defence waffled all morning and then the Court adjourned for half an hour. If that wasn't enough, the judge then waffles for another half an hour before actually delivering the sentence (15 months jail).

Surely all the waffle was done at the trial, there was no need to go through it all over again?

Many years back, property deeds rambled on and on because it was said that Lawyers were paid by the word so now that property deeds are a simple sheet of paper have they invented new ways of wasting everyone's time to earn more money?

[dillon-in-bayern]

So lawyers may be paid by the word ......... and convicts sentenced by the ....... ???? Exactly what?

Come on now, 13 proven and admitted sexual underage abuse crimes and what ... 15 months jail time?

Even if he is old, lock 'im up for life.

Wabbit

[cee-dee]

It's not the sentence that "concerned" me, it was the waste of time and money.

As soon as the guilty plea was made, there was no need for any more rigmarole. Everything was recorded on paper as well as audio/visual so it should have moved straight on to sentencing.

Like I said, there was no need for this mornings play-acting and no need for the judge to adjourn then waffle on for another half hour playing to the gallery.

After the guilty plea, the Judge could just as easily have said that he'd read and watched/listened to the prosecution case, then asked the defence for their mitigation and moved straight on to sentencing:-

"Well Mr Hall, you've pleaded guilty to these 13 offences and after taking in to consideration what's been said by your defence, your guilty plea and mitigating circumstances, several offences have crossed the line for custody and I therefore sentence you to 15 months.............." Finit, end of it!!!!

[al**bear]

The Attorney General's going to review the 15 month sentence given to Stuart Hall, who's been jailed for sexually abusing girls

quite right

[al**bear]

that was a news flash on Radio Clydes twitter account just now

[tommy.irene]

Plead guilty and get a short senence.. I think a deal was done..

[al**bear]

Same Judge-  Judge Anthony Russell

A 29-year-old man who failed to report the death of his father for nearly five months and claimed his benefit payments has been jailed for three years.

Police found the body of Guy Blackburn, 54, on a bed in the living room of his home in Penwortham, Lancashire, last March after neighbours raised concerns.

Christopher Blackburn, from Birkby, Huddersfield, admitted theft and preventing a lawful burial of a body.

Preston Crown Court heard he took his father's benefit payments of £1,869.

A Home Office post-mortem examination revealed Mr Blackburn had died from natural causes, probably about several months earlier.

The Recorder of Preston, Judge Anthony Russell, said: 

"Such offending is abhorrent to all decent-minded people who will be disgusted by your behaviour.

"It was callous and offensive to his (Guy Blackburn) friends and family who no doubt have been caused considerable distress by these circumstances.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lancashire-17367225

[cee-dee]

I dunno how to say this without causing "offence" but why is everyone focussing on the sentence when the point of the thread was the waste of time and money going over and over things when there was no need for it.

All the time you see cases taking months to get to Court "due to the backlog" and the cost for everyone escalates because....... everything has a cost!

[al**bear]

So you are saying just ignore someone who sexually abused a 9 year old Girl ?

[margaret*e]

Al, he isn't saying that, he's asking why the sentencing took so long when the case  was already cut and Dried.

All they had to do was tell him how long he was getting.

[lhasa.two]

I dunno how to say this without causing "offence" but why is everyone focussing on the sentence when the point of the thread was the waste of time and money going over and over things when there was no need for it.

All the time you see cases taking months to get to Court "due to the backlog" and the cost for everyone escalates because....... everything has a cost!

There may be no need for "going over and over things" in your view but It's important to get the message across to the guilty party that what he did was so wrong and perhaps it's also a message to others...

It's standard practice for the judge to go away and decide about the sentencing, particularly when there are 13 different victims involved. You could turn it around and say that he would be wasting his time on deciding on the sentencing prior to getting a "not guilty" verdict. Budgets are built into the system to support it.

The backlog is due to far too many people committing crimes... not about Judges summing up and sentencing. I think it's a very valuable process because the written document explains his reasoning for the sentencing, it also contains other information that you aren't party to. 

You've been watching too many American court dramas... :^O

[cee-dee]

I can't stand those American Court Cases and as for their drama... YUK.

It seems that the whole point of the thread is just not being grasped (except by Margie).

How many times do you need to go over the same old stuff? The judge has already had the case presented to him in Court, on paper, in audio/visual and already knew full well what he was going to do. Th guilty party knows full well what it's all about and doesn't need anything "explaining".

There was absolutely no need to string it out again over a morning and no need for him to adjourn to "consider things".

As to "standard prctice", that's the point, there's no need for it, it's a waste of time.

Considering the backlog, if all the time-wasting was stopped, there wouldn't BE any backlog!

[lhasa.two]

The thread is being grasped - by me anyway.

You're not either reading my post or not understanding what I've written!

[tommy.irene]

The backlog is due to far too many people committing crimes... not about Judges summing up and sentencing. I think it's a very valuable process because the written document explains his reasoning for the sentencing, it also contains other information that you aren't party to. 

You've been watching too many American court dramas... :^O

I think we should have 24 hour courts..everything seems to close at 5.oo pm..