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Sounds like Judge Workman is pretty explicitly "making an example" out of CM's case. He also deems CM's crime as ineligible for juvenile court because it involved the "violent killing of a vulnerable person with a severe disability." If I were the family, I would be greatly relieved that, per the article, the case is being transferred to another judge (I don't know why that is, exactly) because I'd have serious concerns that Judge Workman would impose harsher penalties on the defendant (if she's found guilty) than he would had the same crime been committed against a person without a disability, or a "non-vulnerable" person. (While I personally feel similarly about the crime being worse than had the victim not been a person with disability, I would've thought that the judge would be bound to at least sound like he was objective).
"Workman said he hoped his opinion would serve as a guide in handling the case should a future court choose to follow it. He said he believed “what occurred in this case was a psychotic episode of some kind.”
Workman said, “The court is aware, and is not adverse, to the family’s request for mercy. Mercy is defined as compassion or forgiveness, but it also includes a requirement of accountability. Claire is certainly suffering from mental illness and has experienced a psychotic episode. She is dealing with multiple mental health diagnoses, including gender dysphoria and hallucinations. ... At the same time this crime involves the violent killing of a vulnerable person with a severe disability who had no ability to cry for help or run away. There must be remembrance for Helen.”
"Workman said he hoped his opinion would serve as a guide in handling the case should a future court choose to follow it. He said he believed “what occurred in this case was a psychotic episode of some kind.”
Workman said, “The court is aware, and is not adverse, to the family’s request for mercy. Mercy is defined as compassion or forgiveness, but it also includes a requirement of accountability. Claire is certainly suffering from mental illness and has experienced a psychotic episode. She is dealing with multiple mental health diagnoses, including gender dysphoria and hallucinations. ... At the same time this crime involves the violent killing of a vulnerable person with a severe disability who had no ability to cry for help or run away. There must be remembrance for Helen.”
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