Life sentence for Stanley Gerald Champ

[Sliceitup]

Some observations...

It seems that plain Anabaptists pack the court rooms whether their member is/was the victim, the perpetrator, or the persecuted.

If it is the victim, it makes sense that they would want to be there to support the friends and relatives of the victim. However since they do not press charges, this rarely happens.

If it is the perpetrator, they go hoping the member will get a lighter sentence. I think this is because they believe that the perpetrator has repented, and prison is not a helpful or redemptive way of dealing with repentant sin. (I don't necessarily agree with this but I think it explains why they pack the courtrooms.)

And then in the case of someone being persecuted for righteousness sake, they are going to really pack the courtroom because they want to show solidarity with the persecuted. (As usual, there will be people who think the defendent is not being persecuted, but that is the nature of such things. If the society does not generally believe a "crime" was committed, the state would have a hard time making a case.)

In cases here the perpetrator is/was a church member, don't you think sometimes the other church people are attending the court sessions so that they can see for themselves what is happening as well as get accurate information directly?
I think if someone I knew was going to be in court for something like this I would likely attend - not in hopes of influencing anything one way or the other, but just to find out the facts truly are. So that I wouldn't be at the mercy of people saying "he never did this" when in fact the person had, for instance, confessed to the facts in court.

Does attendance at the trial necessarily denote support for one party or the other?

In the instant case, suppose the church people believed that Gerald was guilty and deserved punishment (I have no information whether they did or didn't). How should they indicate this by their court attendance practices so as not to be mistaken for "supporting him" or "hoping he gets a lighter sentence"?

It is my understanding, though I may be wrong, that if you’re there in support of the defendant you sit on his side of the courtroom. Those in support of the victim will sit behind the prosecutor.

[Josh]

It is my understanding, though I may be wrong, that if you’re there in support of the defendant you sit on his side of the courtroom. Those in support of the victim will sit behind the prosecutor.

That’s not accurate, and in particular, some of us may not have made up our minds if someone is guilty or not. That’s the whole point of observing.

At a trial for a speeding ticket 8 years ago I unwittingly sat on the prosecutor’s side. I guess I was in support of my opposition! As were half of the rest of the defendants and their families there? (Usually nobody shows up who’s in support of the prosecution for typical municipal court cases.)

[temporal1]

Following is a blurb from the same news article Ken just referenced https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/local ... vhfMJu1TrM

"Prosecutors said there may be victims besides those in Kaufman County because the church sent Champ to work in other states."


Still another article https://www.inforney.com/crime/kaufman- ... eb5.html Contained the following blurbs:

"Prosecutors say 51-year-old Stanley Gerald Champ of Scurry, Texas, led the Grays Prairie Mennonite Church in the 12000 block of Farm-to-Market (FM) 148 where he met his latest victim — a four-year-old girl."

" 'No one is above the law,' stated Kaufman County District Attorney Erleigh Wiley following sentencing. Wiley thanked the Kaufman County Sheriff's Office and the New Holland Pennsylvania Police Department for their investigative work and, most importantly she says, the 'victims who so bravely told their story.' "


Sounds like Champ got around, whatever his official role was or was not.

Rape is violence. No matter age of victims.

From what i understand, when victims are minors, teens, children, babies, rape does not require penetration.
There is no “consent,” adults preying on minors is always statutory rape.

- - - - - - -

In my view, what’s now happening in gov schools+libraries, under the guise of sex ed, is criminal, these activities should be prosecuted, not protected and enabled by taxpayers. The more this is allowed in gov schools, the more difficult it will be to prosecute perpetrators in courts of law.

Lines are intentionally blurred. The legal label, “statutory rape” is losing its social and legal weight.
There are politically organized groups dedicated to upending legal protections of minors. They do not rest.

^^ My understanding.

In all these cases, tech devices of the accused should be investigated.
In the past, reports would often include statements like, “3000 pornographic images/videos were found on his computer, phone, etc.”
Also, reports of pornographic or intimate images of victims are often found. (There seems to be less reporting on this as time passes.)

Cameras on every phone mean pics can be had in an instant. Children are not protected.

Sociopaths, psychopaths, predators exist. Porn has always existed.
The vast quantities now readily available to anyone with tech worsens the problems. The human brain was not created to be able to process the sheer quantities. Victims become objects to be used then discarded.

No winners.

[TruthSeeker]

Rape is violence. No matter age of victims . . .

. . . Or the role of the perpetrator in the church hierarchy!

Thanks, temporal1, for turning our thoughts to the victims!

[temporal1]

Rape is violence. No matter age of victims . . .

. . . Or the role of the perpetrator in the church hierarchy!

Thanks, temporal1, for turning our thoughts to the victims!

Thanks for your response.
The sentence is horrifying, and sickens me.

But, as one victim stated, Mr Champ unilaterally gave a life sentence to every victim, and their loved ones.
It’s not about revenge. It shouldn’t be.

It’s about PREVENTION of additional victims. In this perspective, his sentence is not excessive.
As well, he will have options to appeal, other ways of mitigating his sentence - his victims have no such options.

In prison he can find and choose God. He can choose a godly life in prison. His greatest hope is in prison.

[Josh]

Rape is violence. No matter age of victims . . .

. . . Or the role of the perpetrator in the church hierarchy!

Thanks, temporal1, for turning our thoughts to the victims!

?? But we established this perpetrator didn’t have a role in the church hierarchy beyond the ones basically every person who goes to church has.

[mike]

Rape is violence. No matter age of victims . . .

. . . Or the role of the perpetrator in the church hierarchy!

Thanks, temporal1, for turning our thoughts to the victims!

Thanks for your response.
The sentence is horrifying, and sickens me.

But, as one victim stated, Mr Champ unilaterally gave a life sentence to every victim, and their loved ones.
It’s not about revenge. It shouldn’t be.

It’s about PREVENTION of additional victims. In this perspective, his sentence is not excessive.
As well, he will have options to appeal, other ways of mitigating his sentence - his victims have no such options.

In prison he can find and choose God. He can choose a godly life in prison.

Yes, he can. His family and church have now also become victims of his actions.

It seems like an amazing sentence. However, there is little I can say against it. It will help people to understand the unbelievable destructiveness of sin and crime.

[temporal1]

Rape is violence. No matter age of victims . . .

. . . Or the role of the perpetrator in the church hierarchy!

Thanks, temporal1, for turning our thoughts to the victims!

?? But we established this perpetrator didn’t have a role in the church hierarchy beyond the ones basically every person who goes to church has.

i presume TS is thinking in general terms, considering his posting history. i believe you would agree?

[Josh]

. . . Or the role of the perpetrator in the church hierarchy!

Thanks, temporal1, for turning our thoughts to the victims!

?? But we established this perpetrator didn’t have a role in the church hierarchy beyond the ones basically every person who goes to church has.

i presume TS is thinking in general terms, considering his posting history. i believe you would agree?

I wouldn’t. This story needs to stop being characterised as “Mennonite leaders get away with stuff and aren’t accountable.” It shows a complete lack of respect for actual truth.

[temporal1]

?? But we established this perpetrator didn’t have a role in the church hierarchy beyond the ones basically every person who goes to church has.

i presume TS is thinking in general terms, considering his posting history. i believe you would agree?

I wouldn’t. This story needs to stop being characterised as “Mennonite leaders get away with stuff and aren’t accountable.”
It shows a complete lack of respect for actual truth.

i believe i see evidence of that with a few members. not TS. these sins happen in all church hierarchies. to my knowledge, the first response is always disbelief, denial. excuses continue from there. not just Mennonites. Mennonites are not exempt. (TS would need to clarify.) this is my understanding of his words.

mike:
Yes, he can. His family and church have now also become victims of his actions.

It seems like an amazing sentence. However, there is little I can say against it.

It will help people to understand the unbelievable destructiveness of sin and crime.

sin is such a liar. the worst.