Oregon judge stays convicted rapist's sentence
Monday, October 6, 2008 8:12 PM PDT
By The Associated Press
Printable version
E-mail this articleASTORIA — Half the Clatsop County courtroom erupted into applause and the other half burst into tears when a judge sentenced a convicted rapist to eight years in prison and then ordered a stay of sentence, pending an appeal of the case.
A Clatsop County jury found Wilfred J. Daniel, a 43-year-old manager of a Coast Rehabilitation facility in Warrenton, guilty of raping a mentally disabled employee.
The case was troublesome, visiting judge Douglas Beckman said Friday, because the trial began with prosecutors seeking conviction on four counts of rape, but they went on to seek six more. The judge also said he regretted his earlier decision not to allow the jury to view the facility where the alleged crimes occurred.
"I think it was not only a culpable error, I think we're going to get reversed on it," he said before making his decision.
In her statement to the court before Daniel's sentencing, Dawn Blaser, the Clatsop County senior deputy district attorney, reminded the court about another North Coast sex abuse case. Arthur Leland Russell had been released before sentencing in 1996 and hasn't been seen since.
She then read a statement from the victim into the record.
"You need to go to jail for a very long time, where you can't hurt me any more," Blaser read.
Blaser said she was shocked by the decision, which would "send a horrible message to rape victims."
Michael Dooney, Daniel's attorney, said he has never seen anything like Beckman's decision in 36 years of practice, but he was glad for it.
"We're just dealing with a bad verdict — bad jury verdict," Dooney said. "Thank God we've got a judge who would stand up and reverse a decision."
District Attorney Josh Marquis said the judge has the authority to rule as he did, but was "horrified" by the judgment.
"He gave Mr. Daniel a get-out-of-jail-free card," Marquis said. "He questioned the jury's verdict — that's the part I find truly offensive."
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