GUILTY OK - Judge allows Jesse Butler, 18, who was convicted of raping and strangling 2 girls to walk free - Stillwater, 4 Mar 2025

[Smelly Squirrel]

Stillwater judge in Jesse Butler rape case cleared of wrongdoing - The Oklahoman

An Oklahoma state agency investigating allegations of misconduct has found no wrongdoing in a judge's decision-making in a teenage rape case that sparked massive outcry in the college town of Stillwater.

The Council on Judicial Complaints released a report Thursday, Jan. 22, saying an investigation did not find any evidence supporting accusations of misconduct against Payne County Special District Judge Susan Worthington. The judge has been the subject of intense scrutiny related to the controversial case of Jesse Butler, a Stillwater High School athlete accused of rape and domestic abuse of two ex-girlfriends.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

Jesse Butler entered a no contest plea to multiple rape and domestic assault charges in Oklahoma last year, but the court granted him Youthful Offender Status, wiping away all prison time. Now the victims and their families are crying foul, challenging the decision under Marsy's Law and arguing their constitutional rights were violated. Law&Crime's Jesse Weber spoke with Rachel Bussett, the attorney who filed the Marsy's Law motion on behalf of one of Butler's victims, about the latest developments.

 

[kaen]

No surprise. No admitting guilt. Backdoor deal. Love that the DA is also on the side of not giving these young women and their families a voice. Stillwaters do run deep... it appears. It seems to be a trend in this country. JMHO.

 

[The4TierBridge]

No surprise. No admitting guilt. Backdoor deal. It seems to be a trend in this country. JMHO.

Admitting guilt to what? Following the sentencing guidelines? Do you think that’s a crime?

If people don’t like the recommended sentencing guidelines in place for so and so crime in whatever place they live in, that’s an issue they need to bring to their legislative representatives, not harass judges about.

 

[Bluebear15]

The families will need to bring lawsuits to get any form of justice imo. The whole thing stinks.

 

[kaen]

Admitting guilt to what? Following the sentencing guidelines? Do you think that’s a crime?

If people don’t like the recommended sentencing guidelines in place for so and so crime in whatever place they live in, that’s an issue they need to bring to their legislative representatives, not harass judges about.

Bulter pled no contest which means he thinks there is enough evidence to convict BUT it is not an admission of guilt or wrong doing. Sentencing guidelines have nothing to do with it.

 

[The4TierBridge]

Bulter pled no contest which means he thinks there is enough evidence to convict BUT it is not an admission of guilt or wrong doing. Sentencing guidelines have nothing to do with it.

It’s functionally a guilty plea; he was still convicted of the crimes he was accused of and sentenced to probation, community service, mandated counseling, etc., under the “youthful offender program” or whatever they’re doing in Oklahoma (which also makes the title of the thread claiming he was allowed to “walk free” incredibly misleading).

The sentence he was given is in accordance with the terms of the Youthful Offender Act, which was correctly applied and certified by a different judge than the sentencing judge due to the fact he was not a legal adult at the time of the crimes.

The only real issue at play here is that a lot of people FEEL like he should have received a more harsh sentence, and that kind of subjectivity does not belong in a courtroom. If people want changes in the criminal justice system, they should pursue changes in the written law itself. This is of course not withstanding something nefarious being uncovered during the course of the multiple lawsuits which have now been filed against him.

 

[airportwoman]

Bet he's the type that parents told their children to avoid, from the time he was very young.

 

[katydid23]

It’s functionally a guilty plea; he was still convicted of the crimes he was accused of and sentenced to probation, community service, mandated counseling, etc., under the “youthful offender program” or whatever they’re doing in Oklahoma (which also makes the title of the thread claiming he was allowed to “walk free” incredibly misleading).

The sentence he was given is in accordance with the terms of the Youthful Offender Act, which was correctly applied and certified by a different judge than the sentencing judge due to the fact he was not a legal adult at the time of the crimes.

The only real issue at play here is that a lot of people FEEL like he should have received a more harsh sentence, and that kind of subjectivity does not belong in a courtroom. If people want changes in the criminal justice system, they should pursue changes in the written law itself. This is of course not withstanding something nefarious being uncovered during the course of the multiple lawsuits which have now been filed against him.

I think the frustration is that he did this TWICE. Raped and strangled two ex girlfriends. If a judge decided to give him a second chance after one rape, and apply the youthful offender /no jail sentence, that's fine. But should he get off that easy knowing he did this two times?

Why not give him actual jail time for the second offence? I think that is a valid question for the victims to ask.

He does not not have to be a legal adult to be tried as an adult, IFIC. The judge has the discretion, I believe.

 

[lonetraveler]

IMO, he should have been tried as an adult and not as a Youthful Offender.
He was 18 years old, not a minor.

 

[bearfossils]

It’s functionally a guilty plea; he was still convicted of the crimes he was accused of and sentenced to probation, community service, mandated counseling, etc., under the “youthful offender program” or whatever they’re doing in Oklahoma (which also makes the title of the thread claiming he was allowed to “walk free” incredibly misleading).

The sentence he was given is in accordance with the terms of the Youthful Offender Act, which was correctly applied and certified by a different judge than the sentencing judge due to the fact he was not a legal adult at the time of the crimes.

The only real issue at play here is that a lot of people FEEL like he should have received a more harsh sentence, and that kind of subjectivity does not belong in a courtroom. If people want changes in the criminal justice system, they should pursue changes in the written law itself. This is of course not withstanding something nefarious being uncovered during the course of the multiple lawsuits which have now been filed against him.

Really? The issue here is the inherent sexism of the justice system in this case, and many others, to be honest — even if these judges are “following the law” (which i disagree with; any of those judges could have made a choice for a harsher punishment but didn’t) that doesn’t excuse the revolting lack of accountability for an individual who is essentially an adult. This man raped and nearly choked to death two teenage girls and got off with probation and some community service; how is that even remotely “justice” for his victims? How are you not only okay with that, but defending it?

Our justice system is sexist to its core, and has been for centuries. Women have been fighting to change this for just as long. To dismiss the anger at this case and its “punishment” by saying, “oh well, that’s the law, I guess you didn’t try hard enough to change it or need to vote better” is vile. Institutional misogyny isn’t something that gets fixed in a local setting during one election season. We have every right to be angry about this, call it out, and use whatever other abilities we have in order to make sure this rapist and attempted murderer doesn’t get to skate by without consequences.Your post sounds like one more way the onus of this crime is being placed on anyone but the perpetrator.

 

[lonetraveler]

Again, the problem I see is that he was tried as a youth offender. That was "so wrong" IMO.

 

[bearfossils]

The only real issue at play here is that a lot of people FEEL like he should have received a more harsh sentence, and that kind of subjectivity does not belong in a courtroom. If people want changes in the criminal justice system, they should pursue changes in the written law itself. This is of course not withstanding something nefarious being uncovered during the course of the multiple lawsuits which have now been filed against him.

Not to beat a dead horse, but I take serious issue with your dismissal of criticism for this case being based in “feelings”. Recognizing that men are given pathetically short sentences for committing violent crimes against women isn’t an emotional response — it’s a recognition of how normalized violence against women is in our society and how woeful the justice system’s supposed response to it is. The only punishment for a man who raped, tormented, and neatly choked to death two young women is parole and community service? Would it be the same if the offender wasn’t a rich white boy with social connections? Or do you ignore the influence wealth and status has on our justice system as well?