By Matt Gouras
Associated Press
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The Montana attorney general’s office on Friday asked the state Supreme Court to throw out a 30-day sentence given to a teacher who raped a 14-year-old girl, saying the punishment was illegally lenient.
The state formally filed its arguments in the appeal of the highly criticized sentence for Stacey Rambold, who was released from Montana State Prison in September.
District Judge G. Todd Baugh sparked outrage when he commented in August that victim Cherice Moralez was “older than her chronological age.” Moralez killed herself before the case went to trial.
The judge later apologized and said his comments were based on videotaped interviews with Moralez that have not been publicly released.
The state argues the child was not legally able to consent and that the judge’s sentence was illegal.
The brief argues the minimum legal sentence would have been two years in prison. But prosecutors said they still believe a sentence of 20 years in prison, with 10 years suspended, would be appropriate.
