Attorneys for Michael Jacques Want Federal Indictment Tossed

Defense attorneys have requested and extension from December 25 to January 8 for filing pretrial motions in the murder case. Jacques was indicted by a federal grand jury in the kidnap, drugging, rape, and murder of his niece, 12-year-old Brooke Bennett.

The filing also indicated that the defense would be seeking to have the federal indictment dropped. Jean Barrett, a New Jersey death-penalty specialist, states the federal court can only try cases that involve crimes committed that cross state lines. Barrett asserts that Jacques alleged crimes all occurred in Vermont and he should therefore by tried by the state. 

The move effectively could allow Jacques to escape the death penalty because Vermont has no death penalty law.

This past August, US Attorney General Eric Holder notified the Burlington Attorney’s Office that the government could pursue the death penalty in the event that Jacques was found guilty of the charges.

The case was originally turned over to the federal authorities because Jacques is accused of persuading and under age girl to engage in sex acts and those videos were transported over state lines. Brooke’s ex-stepfather, Raymond Gagnon, was found guilty this past summer of transporting pornography to several states.

While the legal wrangling continues, Jacques was moved from a federal facility in Devens, MA to a federal jail in Brooklyn, NY.

Burlington Free Press

First Step Towards Justice For Brooke Bennett

Her ex-stepfather, Raymond Gagnon has been sentenced to 16 years and eight months in a Texas federal court on child pornography charges.

Gagnon expressed remorse after being sentenced by Judge Xavier Rodriguez today. "What I did was wrong," Gagnon told the court. "For my own sake and the sake of Brooke Bennett's family, I need to accept that responsibility."

It had been hoped Gagnon would cut a deal with authorities by testifying against Brooke’s uncle, Michael Jacques, who is accused of drugging, raping, and murdering Brooke.

Prosecutors called Gagnon a liar in court Friday and said he has not helped in the Bennett case despite being given numerous chances. Gagnon pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography.

Gagnon admitted to having images and video files of prepubescent children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including sexual acts with adults. Many of the images were collected when he lived in Alabama, prior to moving to Texas. He still faces additional charges of possession of child pornography in Alabama.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Braun said Gagnon has been unhelpful. "By lying to us, he has all but guaranteed he won't be called as a witness in any other case," Braun said.

Gagnon had been married to Brooke’s mother for four years. They separated in 2004.

KXXV

AJC.com

Brooke Bennett Murder To Be A Death Penalty Case

The U.S. Department of Justice will seek the death penalty for Michael Jacques in the murder of Brooke Bennett. 12-year-old Brooke was drugged, raped and murdered by her uncle on June 25, 2008. Her body was found in a shallow grave near Jacques' home a week after she went missing.

The case has been stalled due to the fact a new U.S. Attorney General had to be appointed by the President and a new Vermont U.S. Attorney just took office last week. Vermont does not have a death penalty, but Jacques has been charged under federal law.

After being given the green light by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on August 14, U.S. Attorney Tristram Coffin announced Tuesday that prosecutors filed a Notice of Intent to Seek a Sentence of Death.

In the documents filed, prosecutors site five factors and 19 aggravating factors which make Jacques eligible for the death penalty, including Jacques killed Brooke after 'substantial planning and premeditation'.

Federal officials also say Jacques has shown no remorse for the especially heinous, cruel and depraved murder of his niece for which he stands accused.

Brooke's murder led to sweeping sex offender reforms in the Vermont. Jacques is a repeat offender.

Rutland Herald
Washington Post

Brooke Bennett – What of Jacques and Gagnon?

~Brooke Bennett




One of T&T’s readers left a comment on the story, Remembering Brooke Bennett.

cherylt asked, “Is there even a trial date set for that POS? Since stepdad pled guilty do we know how much time he was given?”

The questions prompted me to think about how much time I've invested following this case and the tons of print information I have read following Brooke’s death.

I offer this recap from previous entries and articles I have archived – many of which are no longer available online.

Michael Jacques
No, there is no trial date set and I don’t believe we will see one soon for several reasons.

When it was determined that this would be charged as a federal case rather than a state case, several things came into play:

August 2008 –
U.S. District Judge William Sessions granted Desautels request and allowed famed husband and wife legal team, David Ruhnke and Jean deSales Barrett of Montvale, N.J. to assist with the defense. They have successfully defended many high profile clients facing a possible death penalty.

October 2008 -
Prosecutors placed the death penalty as an option on the table, but it is United States Attorney General Michael Mukasey who makes the final decision on whether or not Jacques faces the death penalty.

It becomes apparent that with the Presidential election looming, Michael Mukasey will not issue the final decision on the death penalty. The President elect will be appointing a new Attorney General.

November 2008 -
Jacques' attorneys filed a motion requesting the court push back the date in the death-penalty authorization process to April 2009.

February 2009 –
Eric H. Holder Jr. is sworn in as Attorney General. Holder is personally opposed to the death sentence.

Brooke’s case languishes on Holder’s desk awaiting a decision.

Jacques is obviously not salvageable as a member of society. His repeated acts of rape and violence have more than proven what a sick, sadistic predator he is.

Regardless of death penalty application approval or not, Brooke deserves justice!

Raymond Gagnon
April 2009 –
Pleaded guilty to transportation of child pornography in US District Court in San Antonio. He faces 5 to 20 years when he is sentenced on July 10.

He is however, still facing additional charges of possession of child pornography in Cullman, Alabama, where he lived before moving to Texas. The San Antonio plea agreement does not affect those pending charges.

So, justice for Brooke remains in limbo for the time being and that’s why we all need to keep her memory alive.

Remembering Brooke Bennett

~Brooke Bennett


One year ago today, the pretty, Vermont 12-year-old disappeared. We would come to find out she was drugged, raped, and strangled allegedly by her uncle.

Brooke was last seen alive on a surveillance video from a Cumberland Farms store in the company of her uncle, Michael Jacques.

As investigators desperately searched for Brooke, a bizarre and horrific story began to emerge and would forever change the small town of Randolph.

The players in the real life drama are tightly intertwined family members:

Cassandra Gagnon – Brooke’s mother, whose ex-husband is Richard Gagnon. Cassandra has recently changed her name to Adams, her maiden name.

Denise Jacques – Cassandra’s sister and wife of Michael Jacques. Denise has changed her name back to Woodward.

Richard Gagnon and Michael Jacques – Brooke’s ex-stepfather and uncle, respectively. Prosecutors claim there is a “nexus between investigations into the alleged obstruction of justice by Gagnon and the alleged kidnapping by Jacques.”

The State of Vermont turns the cases over to Federal prosecutors.

Gagnon is arrested on a charge of aggravated sexual assault on a minor and obstruction of justice for apparently assisting Jacques in fabricating information regarding the abduction of Brooke. Additionally he has been charged with the production and distribution of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to pornography charges in federal court in San Antonio on April 13, 2009.

February 26, 2009, the Vermont Legislature passed one of the toughest sex-offender bills in the country by a 29-0 vote in the Senate and 132-2 in the House.

In 1985, Jacques was charged with lewd and lascivious conduct with a minor after allegedly engaging in more than 100 sex acts with an underage family relative whom he eventually impregnated. The case was dismissed.

In 1992, he was charged and convicted of abducting and raping an 18-year-old West Rutland woman. Police reports indicated he tied a rope around her neck, threatened to kill her and forced her to perform sex acts on him for several hours.

Jacques is currently being held at a federal penitentiary in Ayer, MA.

While Brooke’s family and the Randolph area are growing impatient with the slow pace of Jacques’ prosecution, prosecutors are awaiting a decision from Attorney General Eric Holder on whether they can seek the death penalty for Jacques.

Please take a moment to think of Brooke today – she deserves to be remembered.

Burlington Free Press

Brooke Bennett’s Ex-Stepfather Pleads Guilty to Porn Charges

~Brooke Bennett



This morning in San Antonio, U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez accepted Ray Gagnon’s guilty plea. Gagnon will be sentenced in July and faces up to 20 years in prison.

Gagnon still faces charges of child pornography in Alabama where he lived with young Brooke and her mother.

Will these federal charges be an impetus for Gagnon to try a cut a deal by cooperating with authorities in testifying against Michael Jacques, Brooke’s uncle, who stands accused of 12-year-old Brooke’s kidnap, rape and murder?

We can only hope!

kristv.com

Brooke Bennett’s Stepfather Seeking Deal

~Brooke Bennett


Facing federal child pornography charges in both Texas and Alabama, Raymond Gagnon’s attorneys have filed a request in the San Antonio U.S. District Court to delay the March 2 trial while a plea deal is under discussion. The federal judge in the case has agreed to delay the trial until April 20.

Gagnon arrived in Vermont in late June after being told by Michael Jacques, Brooke’s uncle, that Brooke was missing. Jacques spoke with Gagnon by telephone several times the night Brooke reported missing.

Gagnon was subsequently arrested in Vermont on charges that he and Michael Jacques had engaged in a simultaneous sex act with a minor in 2007 in South Royalton, Vermont.

The State later dropped those charges when Gagnon was charged by federal prosecutors with obstruction of justice after it was learned Gagnon called a friend in San Antonio and asked him to get rid of a computer that contained a collection of child pornography. Despite a massive search, investigators never recovered the computer.

Acting on a tip, investigators also went to a Cullman, Alabama home owned by Gagnon, and found child pornography stored on two computers.

In October, another indictment that contained new charges against Gagnon was unsealed in San Antonio. The charges are that Gagnon engaged in, produced and transported child pornography between 2003 and 2007.

Young Brooke went missing June 25, 2008. Her body was found July 2 buried in the woods about a mile from the home of her uncle Michael Jacques.

Michael Jacques faces federal charges in Vermont for kidnapping, drugging, raping, and strangling Brooke after he brought her to his home. Investigators found evidence which indicates Jacques began planning Brooke’s kidnapping in May and by accessing her My Space account, made it look like she had run away with someone she had met online.

The national outcry in the wake of Brooke’s murder and the fact that Jacques had previously been jailed as a sex offender, but was released early, Vermont has recently passed stronger sex-offender legislation.

Burlington Free Press

Boston Herald

Another Arrest in Brooke Bennett Case

Federal authorities arrested 58-year-old Kevin Grosenheider, of San Antonio, Texas on Friday for destroying evidence in the case.

Grosenheider rented a room to Raymond Gagnon. Gagnon - Brooke’s former stepfather - supposedly called him from Vermont on the day he was arrested, and asked him to throw out a safe believed to contain a computer. The computer allegedly held evidence that implicated Gagnon and someone else in the sexual assault of a minor girl.

Gagnon reportedly used the laptop to change Brooke’s MySpace page in an attempt to mislead authorities.

The FBI spent weeks searching a landfill, but failed to find the computer.

Grosenheider lied to investigators about the phone call, but later admitted Gagnon had called him. He also told agents that Gagnon had shown him images of child pornography on a cell phone and a home computer.

Grosenheider was charged with misprision of a felony — not reporting or helping cover up a crime.

He was released on bond and is scheduled to appear at an October 30 hearing.

WCAX

Vermont Dismisses Charges Against Brooke Bennett’s Former Stepfather

Ray Gagnon was arrested in July following the disappearance of 12-year old Brooke Bennett. The former stepfather of Brooke has been held on obstruction of justice charges.

Vermont has filed a motion to dismiss the charges because Gagnon has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Texas on charges of production and transportation of child pornography.

He admitted he has downloaded a vast amount of child pornography from the Internet, including images of children as young as 5 and that he stores the images on his laptop computer.

Gagnon rented a room in a house in San Antonio owned by Kevin Grosenheider. Allegedly, Gagnon called Grosenheider and told him to throw out a safe that contained the laptop.

The safe was reportedly thrown into a dumpster. The FBI ended a lengthy search, without recovering the safe.

Gagnon also faces charges of possession of child pornography in Alabama. His former home was in Cullman, Alabama.

Fox 44

Michael Jacques Indicted in Brooke Bennett’s Kidnapping and Death

~Brooke Bennett

A federal grand jury has found Michael Jacques drugged and sexually assaulted Bennett, then smothered her to death with a plastic bag in a premeditated killing.

Jacques also faces other charges, including five counts of child pornography.

The grand jury indicted the uncle of slain 12-year-old Brooke Bennett for her death on special findings that make him eligible for the death penalty if found guilty on the charge of kidnapping with death resulting.

It is up to the US Attorney General whether or not to seek the death penalty and his decision isn’t expected for several months.

According to the indictment, special findings are what may make this a death penalty case. The special findings are:

-- Jacques intentionally killed Brooke Bennett
-- Jacques intentionally injured her, leading to her death
-- the crime was especially cruel
-- the crime was premeditated
-- the victim was a pre-teen

At the moment, there is no date scheduled for Jacques arraignment.

Fox 44

CNN.com

No Court Appearance for Michael Jacques

Michael Jacques was to appear at a probable cause hearing this morning with his public defender, Michael Desautels.

U.S. District Judge William Sessions granted Desautels request and allowed famed husband and wife legal team, David Ruhnke and Jean deSales Barrett of Montvale, N.J. to assist with the defense. They have successfully defended many high profile clients facing a possible death penalty.

Ruhnke has never lost a case where the death penalty was on the table. He has tried 15 cases. In 2001, he persuaded a New York jury to spare the lives of al-Qaeda operatives connected to the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in east Africa.

U.S. Attorney Tom Anderson said the government would have an FBI agent testify at the hearing. He is to verify information contained in affidavits describing the case against Jacques.

Jacques, 42, waived his right to a probable cause hearing this morning.

Fox 44
Burlington Free Press

Vermont Court Giving Help To Michael Jacques!

~Michael Jacques


Monday, Judge William Sessions assigned a legal team from New Jersey to assist Jacques' public defender in the case. The husband and wife team have extensive experience in death penalty cases. None of their clients have ever been sentenced to death.

I have to say this really stunned me, but based on what’s being going on in Vermont since Brooke Bennett’s death, it really shouldn’t come as a surprise!

This is a repeat offender who allegedly kidnapped Brooke and presumably played a part in her death.

Conviction on the kidnapping could allow the death penalty and here Vermont wants to help out this pig!

In the meantime, Rensselaer County legislators, Stan Brownell and Lester Goodermote are calling on Vermont to pass tougher sex offender laws.

The New Yorkers called for the tougher laws after the arrest of a Vermont man in Hoosick Falls last week.

Ed O'Dell, 37, of Bennington, Vt., was arrested on Thursday for the attempted abduction of two girls and impersonating a police officer.

"There has recently been concern about the effectiveness of sex offender laws in Vermont. This arrest shows there is a need for our neighbor to approve tougher laws to protect all residents in the region," Brownell said Saturday.

"The incident in Hoosick Falls shows why Vermont's laws need to be tougher. We share a border, and we should also share laws that help protect our children from predators," Goodermote said.

WCAX
Bennington Banner

Brooke Bennett’s Uncle To Appear In Court Finally

Last month prosecutors requested and received additional time to continue to collect evidence and bring an indictment against 42 year-old, Michael Jacques.

Jacques has been accused of kidnapping young Brooke in late June. Her body was found a short distance from Jacques’ home, a week later.

A probable cause hearing before Judge Jerome Neidermeier will be held on Wednesday, August 13 at 10am.

Brooke’s former stepfather, Raymond Gagnon has yet to have his hearing scheduled.

The FBI ended a lengthy search for the safe Gagnon had a friend dispose of. The safe is believed to contain pornography.

Meanwhile, at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings prosecutors argued against longer mandatory minimum sentences, such as those contained in Jessica’s Law.

They say the law could lead to more trials and more acquittals as many cases rely on shaky evidence.


Ok, I buy that – NOT!

Times Argus

Fox 44

Feds Request Extension in Brooke Bennett Case

~Michael Jacques and Raymond Gagnon

Prosecutors have requested a 66-day extension to decide whether to indict Michael Jacques and Raymond Gagnon.

Prosecutors say police and the FBI need the time to complete their investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Nolan said the complexity and quantity of evidence being reviewed requires the extra time.

Nolan said in his court filing in the Gagnon case that evidence collected by police and FBI agents suggests the two men’s conduct during the time Brooke was missing may be connected.

Police say Jacques was plotting Bennett’s abduction a month earlier and tried to make it look like she was running away with someone she met on the Internet.

The attorneys, John Pacht, Gagnon’s lawyer, and Jacques’ lawyer, Michael Desautels, did not oppose the request.

Burlington Free Press

Brooke Bennett and Jessica’s Law

~Brooke Bennett



Yesterday, a rally for Jessica’s Law was held in Saint Albans, Vermont. Supporters of the law have gathered 12,000 signatures on the petition.

What really caught my eye were the following two statements:

"These cases need to be reviewed individually, however I think we need to have a minimum fifteen year mandatory sentence for pedophiles. Jessica's Law is 25 years. That's very aggressive... But we need to take steps to set up something that's mandatory for sentencing," said Maura Kelley, a substitute teacher who lives in Hinesburg.

For god’s sake, Ms. Kelly – it’s pedophilia – it’s the abuse of a vulnerable child and in this case, Brooke Bennett ended up dead! 25 years is VERY aggressive?

Vermont's legislature recently rejected mandatory sentencing, but did enact changes that include a possible life sentence for second-time child sex offenders.

A possible life sentence for second-time offenders? Let me get this straight, if your caught a SECOND time, we’ll get serious after TWO innocent children are harmed and/or murdered?

I am appalled!

WCAX

Brooke Bennett – Vermont Continues to Send Mixed Messages

Brooke Bennett’s death was certainly a tragedy and has left emotions raw. Could her death have been prevented with tougher child abuse laws? Maybe - maybe not.

I’ve read several articles over the past few weeks and have commented on the finger pointing and accusations by both political parties.

Now it seems there is division of the ranks from top to bottom of the state.

Times Argus: In the few short weeks since 12-year-old Brooke Bennett was found murdered in Randolph Center, the chorus of Vermonters calling for tougher penalties against convicted pedophiles has swelled to a crescendo.

Their voices, scribbled on sheets of paper in gas stations and convenience stores around Vermont, will soon find their way to lawmakers in the Statehouse.

Two petitions calling on legislators to pass "Jessica's Law" have garnered thousands of signatures. One, circulated by Middlesex resident Angelo Napolitano, has the names of more than 2,000 registered voters. A separate petition authored by Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, meanwhile, already has "thousands" of signatures, Dubie said Tuesday.

"People are angry. People are frustrated," Napolitano said. "And they're saying it's time for Vermont to finally give these perverts the penalties they deserve."

From the Bennington Banner: Bennington officials say they are not yet prepared to follow the lead of Barre City and pass an ordinance banning convicted sex offenders from certain parts of town, but they are open to a discussion.

The Barre City Council approved an ordinance Tuesday — the first municipality in the state to do so — banning people convicted of most sex crimes from moving within 1,000 feet of schools, parks, or playgrounds. Rutland city officials are considering a similar ordinance.

Bennington Town Manager Stuart A. Hurd said local officials have not discussed adopting a similar ordinance, and he has not heard from the Select Board that members will discuss the matter.

"It has not at this time, and frankly, I don't know whether it will take place," Hurd said. "I'll be taking my lead from the Select Board if, in fact, they view this as a problem that needs to be dealt with."

The sad fact remains, this young girl with a bright future, is dead.

The Vermont legislature, the cities, the towns and even the residents seem to be all over the board in terms of how to best protect the vulnerable children of Vermont.

I wonder what it’s going to take for Vermont and every other state in the country to get serious about pedophiles.

Brooke Bennett - I Think About Her

I read an interesting opinion piece in the Rutland Herald:

Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie has been pushing for a special session to allow the Legislature to consider passage of Jessica's Law, which would put in place mandatory minimum sentences of 25 years for those who sexually abuse children.

"My main thrust is giving state's attorneys additional tools," he said.

It is a tool Vermont's state's attorneys don't want. They have argued persistently and persuasively that a mandatory minimum of 25 years would make incarceration of sex offenders more difficult, not less. That's because defendants facing a mandatory sentence of such length will tend to take the case to trial, rather than plea-bargaining to a lesser offense.

A plea bargain is not a get-out-of-jail procedure. It is the technique used by prosecutors to gain a conviction when a weak case may make conviction at trial difficult. It also allows prosecutors to gain a conviction without subjecting victims to the ordeal of testifying at trial, often against family members. The unwillingness of victims to testify at trial undermines many cases, making a plea bargain the safest route to a conviction. That is why victims' advocates are also among those opposing Jessica's Law.

The key to ensuring that sex offenders do not evade justice through plea bargaining is to make sure that the penalties they face are severe, even if they don't amount to 25 years. Recent changes in Vermont law included a toughening of the penalty for aggravated sexual assault to a presumptive minimum of 10 years and a mandatory minimum of five years.

The Legislature may well determine, in the wake of the murder of Brooke Bennett, that that sentence ought to be tougher. The incoherence on Dubie's part comes from his view that Jessica's Law would be a tool for prosecutors when the prosecutors say that, rather than a tool, it would be a hindrance.
I'm still baffled by the logic and thought process behind Vermont law. All I know is Brooke is gone and her kidnapping and murder raises so many questions.

Are sentences for sex offenders tough enough in Vermont?

Are Vermont judges too lenient?

Is Brooke’s death the result of conservative or liberal policy?

Who is responsible for the murder of Brooke Bennett?

The legislature who can’t seem to grasp what needs to be done to protect the children in Vermont, the Department of Corrections that let Jacques go, the judge who signed the release order? Why, after prosecutors argued against the release, did no one question Jacques’ release?

There are no easy answers.

Brooke Bennett’s Former Stepfather Indicted

~Brooke Bennett


Ray Gagnon, Brooke Bennett’s former stepfather was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in San Antonio, Texas. He was charged with transporting child pornography in April 2007, as well as possessing a computer with child pornography on July 1.

Gagnon also faces obstruction charges in Brooke’s disappearance. He is accused of having a friend throw out his laptop while investigators where searching for Brooke.

Brooke’s uncle, Michael Jacques has been charged with kidnapping and may face murder charges when the autopsy findings are completed.

In the meantime, the finger pointing and accusations continue to fly in the legislature. A bipartisan group including: Sen. Richard Sears, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie, Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, and Sen. Kevin Mullin have announced plans for an investigation. Over the next few months, they will hold hearings into the multitude of issues surrounding Brooke’s death and the history of her uncle, Michael Jacques.

A one-to-two day session will not fix the child protection laws in Vermont. Sure, some legislation could be put place, but the complexity of issues in Brooke’s kidnapping and murder are going to take some time to solve.

Democrats and Republicans need to stop sniping and accusing each other for failing Brooke and they need to stop blocking passage of the tough legislation needed.

They all failed Brooke!

Brooke Bennett – Does Vermont Get It?

~Gov Jim Douglas




It’s been said before; if you are a convicted pedophile, move to Vermont. Little to worry about, they’re soft on child molesters.

The following statement is from Vermont’s Sex Offender registry:

The registry is based on the legislature's decision to facilitate access to publicly available information about persons convicted of sexual offenses. EXCEPT FOR OFFENDERS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED ON THIS SITE AS HIGH-RISK, THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY HAS NOT CONSIDERED OR ASSESSED THE SPECIFIC RISK OF REOFFENSE WITH REGARD TO ANY INDIVIDUAL PRIOR TO HIS OR HER INCLUSION WITHIN THIS REGISTRY AND HAS MADE NO DETERMINATION THAT ANY INDIVIDUAL INCLUDED IN THE REGISTRY IS CURRENTLY DANGEROUS. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF PROVIDING THIS DATA ON THE INTERNET IS TO MAKE INFORMATION MORE EASILY AVAILABLE AND ACCESSIBLE, NOT TO WARN ABOUT ANY SPECIFIC INDIVIDUAL.

Get the picture?

Brooke Bennett’s horrific story has placed Vermont in the national spotlight and everyone is waiting to see what they will do concerning the leniency and blind eye the legislature has shown to sex offenders.

Governor Jim Douglas said the state department of corrections made a mistake when it recommended that probation be ended for convicted sex offender Michael Jacques.

Ya think?

Douglas has come up with a number of statutory changes for lawmakers to consider.

He is calling for civil confinement legislation that would allow sex offenders to be held after they have served their sentences if they hadn't completed treatment or were judged to pose a risk. He also calls for a more detailed sex-offender registry.

He also suggests tougher penalties, including the death penalty or chemical castration.

OK, now go back and read the bold text from the registry.

There have been numerous studies that show chemical castration does not work if the offender does not continue treatment.

From Sex Offenders, recidivism & chemical castration by Marc Alexander:

Among the child molesters the cumulative recidivism rate for new sexual charges was 4 per cent per year, dropping to 3 per cent in the fourth year and peaking at increments of 11 per cent between year five and year ten. The rate of new sexual offenses by the end of the study period was 52 per cent for child molesters.

While some might find such conditions – chemical castration - cruel and unusual, I would argue that pedophilia is even more cruel and has more negative and abnormal effects on the victim. The effect on children is devastating, requiring years of healing and in many cases predisposing the victim to become perpetrators themselves.

Now, back to Governor Douglas. He has no plans to call a special session of the Legislature!

When asked by a reporter, why not call a special session? Douglas replied, "If I thought for a minute that the legislative leaders would embrace a serious package of reforms that we have talked about this afternoon, I'd have them here tomorrow,"

"Their past actions does not give me a lot of confidence that in the aggregate they are prepared to take these steps."

Gee, that makes me feel confident!

Now, what about Vermonters themselves?

ritanita pointed out the following quotes from the Burlington Free Press on the day of Brooke’s funeral:

Low clouds gathered, and the congregation dispersed. Some mourned silently; others speculated on how minors had been entrusted to the care of Michael Jacques, a convicted rapist and registered sex offender. Others suggested people feel guilty about not being able to protect a child in their community.

“There has been a sense that the men in the community let us down as protectors, but that’s just how men are,” said Donna Gerstenmaier of Randolph. “I’ve worked with kids my whole life, so I’ve seen Jacques on the (sex-offender) register. People knew what was going on — of course people knew.”

Jennifer Celley of Braintree has baby-sat for the Jacques family. “He was pretty weird and quiet,” she said of Michael Jacques, “but they seemed like a normal family. I knew he was a sex offender. But the kids loved him.”

ritanita and I both want to know –

Hello? What part of sex offender didn't these people get?

Brooke Bennett’s Death Ruled a Homicide

~Michael Jacques

During an initial appearance before the court by Michael Jacques on a kidnapping with death resulting charge, Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Nolan said, “The chief medical examiner of the state of Vermont has conducted an autopsy of the body, has positively identified the body as that of Brooke Bennett, and has certified the manner of death as homicide.”

The crime carries a maximum penalty of death or a lifetime prison sentence.

Nolan did not say how Brooke was killed. He told federal Magistrate Jerome Niedermeier only that the determination of her cause of death is “pending further investigation.”

Michael Jacques is being held until his trial because of his history of criminal violence.

Ray Gagnon, Brooke’s former stepfather, has been charged with obstructing the investigation by destroying evidence. Court papers say investigators still aren't sure if he played any role in the alleged kidnapping.

Gagnon also remains in custody as the judge ruled he was a flight risk and could obstruct the investigation.

Both men will be back in federal court on July 17 for probable cause hearings.