J.D. Roy Atchison, federal judge, now dead by his own hand, as they say, hanging himself after getting caught travelling to Detroit with the intent to have sex with a five year old girl whose mother was pimping her out over the internet, but in fact was a Detroit cop posing as such, now has not garnered a lot sympathy. The details of the case are lurid -- on his flight, he carried a Dora the Explorer doll, some cheap hoop earrings, and a jar of petroleum jelly. There could be no mystery to his intent. Some of the articles I have read say that he was a good father, a girl's soccer coach (shudder!), a loving husband, that he did a lot of good, put a lot of bad guys away. That now he won't be remembered for anything else except the Dora doll. Which leads me to wonder how often we'll see this fall from grace -- people in positions of power, the camera on us while they do their evil in the dark. How strong the desire must be for someone to risk everything, to believe that they had found a mother willing to sell her daughter (make no mistake, there are plenty of those out there, but to trust someone on the internet about this seems to be the height of stupidity), and to fly from Florida to Detroit to fulfill his fantasy.
I can't say that I'm surprised he killed himself. His trial would have been vicious, the sentencing no doubt would have resulted in his death. Judges don't fair well in prison, nor do pedophiles. This is a man who spent his life judging other people, sentencing them for their sins. What's sad is that I can't imagine that people didn't know about him. We always knew the pedophile in the neighborhood -- ours was the next door neighbor who was a mortician. After a long time, he went to prison for abusing his granddaughters. Nobody had the moral fortitude to stop him. In AA they say, We are as sick as our secrets. But what if it's an open secret that's gone on for a long time? A friend of mine used to say about someone repellent, There's nothing wrong with him that a good hanging wouldn't cure. I suppose sometimes it's a mercy to others when we fashion the noose ourselves and spare the court system the trouble.
Michelle's Spell of the Day
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jeremiah, Chapter 17
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12 comments:
My high school French teacher is in the hot seat right now, as I'm sure you've seen on the news. Even 8 years ago when I first had her we knew she was a hooky bitch. Her student aids were also male, attractive and popular. We all knew, we all talked about it and now that she has been caught, we say its about time.
Who knows what else that that man had done, or if this incident was isolated. Maybe he was looking for a way out. Makes me wish I could read peoples minds but then again, I wouldn't want to be indulged in those awful secrets that people should keep hidden.
You must have had strange life experiences if you can find out stories like that, is that true or imaginary?
I heard about this guy. I hate to be brutal, but when I first heard of this and that he killed himself, my first thought was, "Good riddance." I'm now proud of that.
I guess we all have been hypocrites in our lives one time or another, but ususally with such minor things compared to this.
I'm just glad at least some of these creeps are being lured by and caught by cops instead of his really going and having relations with a child sold by their mother.
You know I have no sympathy for a pedophile, it is one of the crimes once proven that I believe should receive the death penalty. More so than if a guy kills a cop because a cop can at least have a chance to shoot back.
While not expressing sympathy for this thing that took a plane here to commit the foulest act known to man there is another issue here that should be decided on the federal level and not in a circuit court but this conservative bending supreme court and that is a clearer definition of entrapment.
Has this judge ever done this before and was he induced towards the crime by what he saw on the internet. What did the cop on the other end of the void promise, how was contact originated. At least in a face to face prostitution sting a physical exchange of words including amounts for sexual services are made.
In this situation did the judge try to break off contact and the cop kept contact coming his way? I am not ready to flick this man off the edge of eternity without knowing more about how the exchanges were made over the internet.
although it is apparently legal for a cop to say they are not a cop in a prostitution sting as soon as physical touch is exchanged the person can not be arrested, this is not a safeguard available on the internet. so there is room fro gray area here.
God knows the intent of the heart but the judge judged himself, in this mortal realm and God will judge him in the next. Personally just for clarities sake I'dve rather seen this fool fight the entrapment issue to the Supreme Court, if he could have gotten the court to take the case.
Peace
TWM
Ropey this was a factual account not a fiction
I sympathize with his family. As for him, pedophiles and other sex offenders rule the roost in the prison systems. He would've fit in fairly well ... that is ... if no one found out about his outside job. Pretty hard to do when your face and name are plastered all over the news.
Love this, Michelle. Especially capping it with the verse from Jeremiah. Hope you're doing well! -Jill
Great post, Michelle, It's sad that the judge won't face the prisons he once held dominion over. But either way, it's fine.
From title to last sentence, an outstanding read.
Peace out
And Doctors make the worst patients and cops make the best criminals...
First thought - he is one sick f%#$.
Second thought - we are only as strong as our weakest link - so, as a people, collectively, we are not so strong - not so good.
I hate to quote an evil person, but to quote Charles Manson:
“Look down at me and you see a fool;look up at me and you see a god;look straight at me and you see yourself." Scary and yet it is something we ALL need to think about and DO something about.
Cheri, reading that mind would make you sick to your stomach. I can't muster a mustard seed of sympathy for the man. He did well to kill himself.
I just saw that I said in my comment, "I'm now proud of that." Talk about screwing up. sorry. I meant, and I hope you understood that I meant, I'm NOT proud of that. Forgive, me, I went to Louisiana Public Schools and stuff like that just trips effortlessly off my fingers. Just imagine how bad I screw up in real life.
As the world turns, the hypocrisy makes us burn. Indeed. Such utterly poignant entries for those of us who toil in these troubled times, Michelle.
Spectacular, stunning pic as always!
Cheerio,
Randy
PS- feel free to quote my poignant words any time.
I recently wrote a post expressing some sympathy for Sen. Larry Craig, but this guy's a different matter. I don't support the death penalty, even for someone like this, but certainly deserved life without parole, had he not ended his own life. Having been lucky enough not to need AA, I've never heard, "We are as sick as our secrets." But it's so true.
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