UPDATE: A new hearing has been ordered. The teacher convicted of rape is now facing a minimum of two years.
Quote:
A 30-day rape sentence given to a teacher who admitted to raping his 14-year-old student may be illegal, according to the Montana judge who imposed it.
The judge scheduled a new hearing for Friday.
"The Defendant shall be present at argument as the Court, if necessary and appropriate, will amend the mandatory minimum portion of the sentence," read a court order filed Tuesday.
It appears the mandatory minimum is two years, not 30 days, the order said.
"In this Court's opinion, imposing a sentence which suspends more than the mandatory minimum would be an illegal sentence," it continued.
The case drew widespread attention when District Judge G. Todd Baugh imposed the 30-day sentence on Stacey Dean Rambold and made controversial comments about the victim, saying she "seemed older than her chronological age."
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There is an investigation into the judge's earlier 30-day sentence being conducted as well.
ADG