Posts Tagged ‘Lancaster County (Nebraska) District Court Judge Paul Merritt’

The New America: Jailing Rape Victims

Friday, May 18th, 2012

Certainly rape victims are reluctant to take the stand in open court against their rapists. The woman is made vulnerable again in front of the assailant whose motivation was primarily about degrading and controlling his victim in the first place.

Now comes news that Lancaster County (Nebraska) District Court Judge Paul Merritt ordered a rape victim to testify or face 90 days in jail for contempt. He reasoned that her potential shame was less important than the county’s pursuit of justice on her behalf. For some reason, the judge’s decision was upheld in the Nebraska Supreme Court. The judge’s public bio appears below.

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