Viewer discretion is advised judge abusing his daughter

[MonkeyMomma]

Sorry guys, no conviction will come of this. An enterprising DA may attempt an indictment, but its not gonna happen. Even here in Georgia there wouldnt be proof of any significant injuries to sustain a felony conviction. She clearly can walk after, isnt bleeding, and there are no pictures (that we know of) that would allow it to rise to a level above corporal punishment.

I do believe the statute of limitations has run but I'll do some more research into texas law tomorrow. Regardless of the statute, the lack of proof of injury will sink the ship. The video is awful and he shouldnt be a family law judge if he thinks this is appropriate child rearing, but its not criminal...

That (bolded part) is disturbing in and of itself.

[Effie]

From her LJ [May. 29th, 2008|11:07 am]:

David rented Bully: Scholarship Edition for me the other day, and it's pretty cool. I never knew what fun it was to beat someone senseless with their own baseball bat.

Oh... :(

[Apr. 11th, 2008|02:30 pm]

Dad has been a whole lot nicer lately. So now my reasons for moving out are mostly positive rather than negative like they were before.

[Dec. 14th, 2007|02:33 am]

Well, I officially live in a single-parent household now. And I don't have a clue how to react. Right now I'm just glad to have Mom legally out of our hair. But it will hit me later. I just have no idea when.

After the divorce between her parents, she chose to live with her dad?

[QAF_Rocks]

3) I haven't researched the full extent of the law in Texas, but I did find a statute that permits parents to use "corporal punishment in the reasonable discipline of the child." Now, you and I might think that what this guy did was obviously despicable and outrageous, but I don't have any faith at all that a Texas jury will find this one out of bounds. (Sorry, Texans, but even in New England where I live juries are lenient on child abusers because the law is so squishy. And Texas has a very pro-CP culture.) Maybe her disability is an angle for establishing that it was unreasonable, but I don't know.

Yeah, unfortunately, I think most states have an extremely high bar for child abuse. As far as I know, parents are allowed to beat their children with implements as long as they don't leave bruises. A lot of the commenters on various news articles are defending the father's actions as standard punishment, saying that they got it just as bad (or worse) when they were kids. Also don't forget that many states still allow teachers to beat students in public schools. Texas is one of them.

It sickens me, but that's the type of culture we're dealing with. I don't think we'll ever see a ban on corporal punishment in the United States like they have in many European countries.

[Buzzard]

That (bolded part) is disturbing in and of itself.

Yup, but the law is the law. Unless there are some close up pictures of raised welts that broke the skin this will be acceptable under the law. We (for some reason) protect a parent's right to treat their children like this. Discipline is a specific exemption to criminal prosecution unless it crosses the line and breaks skin or causes injuries that prevent mobility.

[CanticleoftheTurning]

Oh I found her exact birth date. She will turn 24 on the 29:th of December this year.

Wow. She's only a few days older than me.

[SamuraiKatz]

Yup, but the law is the law. Unless there are some close up pictures of raised welts that broke the skin this will be acceptable under the law. We (for some reason) protect a parent's right to treat their children like this. Discipline is a specific exemption to criminal prosecution unless it crosses the line and breaks skin or causes injuries that prevent mobility.

If this dude committed the same exact act of violence on a random stranger he'd be arrested and face some sort of criminal charge.

But it's okay to verbally threaten and beat your minor child.

There is something totally effed up with the way our laws are written. Particularly in the south.

[fundiefan]

If this dude committed the same exact act of violence on a random stranger he'd be arrested and face some sort of criminal charge.

But it's okay to verbally threaten and beat your minor child.

There is something totally effed up with the way our laws are written. Particularly in the south.

Unfortunately, that is how the law works. Family court is a pretty fucked up system. It also erases a lot of lines that exist in society overall. Family has to put up with a lot more shit than the the courts would ever even imagine making the average citizen put up with from another average citizen simply because they are related to their abuser, manipulator, whatever.

[2xx1xy1JD]

I really hope that she can see all of the support she has from those of us who are horrified by the tape, because her father is obviously in full let's-blame-the-victim-for-causing-problems-for-the-abuser mode.

I hope that the outcry may force him to confront reality, but fear that he'll have defenders and may just retreat into a more extreme mindset, where he feels persecuted by the great liberal hoards for simply asserting his authority....

As for the mother - I can accept that she has sincerely apologized and expressed her remorse, but that is different than excusing her abusive behavior.

[Austin]

As for the mother - I can accept that she has sincerely apologized and expressed her remorse, but that is different than excusing her abusive behavior.

I do not excuse the mother for one second. She is the mother, she is adult. Her fear of him does not mitigate her actions and lack of action. She chose him and she chose to stay with him after she knew he was abusive, and by doing so, put her daughter in ongoing danger.

It's a parent's job to put themselves between their children and harm's way. Instead, she sacrificed her daughter on an alter to placate her husband. Her cowardice is what is craven and I'm actually just as disgusted by her as by him.

[emmiedahl]

It's a parent's job to put themselves between their children and harm's way. Instead, she sacrificed her daughter on an alter to placate her husband. Her cowardice is what is craven and I'm actually just as disgusted by her as by him.

Yes, exactly.

[StarrieEyedKat]

Yes, exactly.

Thirded.

And sorry, but I'm not buying either the "Mom was being abused too" or the "She was protecting her daughter by beating her less." Even if she were being abused, that woman calmly told her daughter to lay on her stomach and take the beating like a 16 year old and then proceeded to wallop her with a belt. I can't even imagine hitting the couch near my child that hard, for fear that I might accidentally hit them. That woman was an active participant in her daughters abuse, and there is absolutely not excuse for that. I don't care if her husband was a judge, that abuse wasn't a one time thing - the mother should have been the one documenting what happened and then finding a way to get her children the hell out of dodge. That is what parents are supposed to do, protect their children at all costs, not beat them with all of their strength.

[JenniferJuniper]

She's apparently expressed some regret about posting it.

She shouldn't have any regrets. Certainly not on behalf of her piece of shit father who needs to lose his judgeship asap or her spineless mother, who deserves twice as much scorn as she does pity.

Posting it was the right thing to do not just because these individuals deserve to be publicly outed, but because it sheds a bright light on an issue that too many people in this country think should be a "private matter".

Kids, whether they be tots or teenagers, disabled or able bodied, are human beings deserving of the same rights as adults not to be assaulted, tortured or terrorized. Hopefully, seeing something like this - which obviously wasn't an isolated incident - will help drive this point through even some of the thickest of skulls.

[annalena]

From the MSNBC article:

"I lost my temper," Adams told KRIS-TV. "Her mother was there, she wasn't hurt... it was a long time ago... I really don't want to get into this right now because as you can see my life's been made very difficult over this child."

Of course HE'S the victim. It's all his kid's fault.

"When asked if he felt he was going to face suspension or discipline from the state over the video Adams responded, "In my mind I have not done anything wrong other than discipline my child when she was caught stealing. I did lose my temper, I've apologized... it looks worse than it is."

It was a video game. She was 16 years old. And he was way beyond out of control.

Color me horrified.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45135221/ns ... rHme0NKPXo

Oh, poor him. Obviously, an unedited video totally twists the truth. His life is difficult? She is a CHILD? From my understanding, she's 25 years old. This makes me mad. My parent still call me a "child". She's not a child. She's a grown woman.

Stealing?!

[Doomed Harlottt]

Yeah, this is how sadists operate. They use the fact that the child was doing something wrong and use it as an excuse to get their jollies by humiliating and terrorizing their child. In this case, Hillary had illegally downloaded something, so yes, she was "stealing." if she were my daughter, I would definitely have discussed with her why that was wrong. But there is absolutely nothing that can excuse this scumbag's conduct, which was exponentially worse than downloading something from Napster or whatever. The thing is that scumbugs who enjoy domination and terror can ALWAYS find something "wrong" that their victim did to supposedly deserve the treatment they are getting. It is part of how they control their victims.

I am with the group that is pretty convinced that he probably won't be prosecuted and certainly not convicted. The law permits reasonable corporal punishment, and sadly, I think the cross-section of Americans likely to be on a jury would find this reasonable. Maybe not if this were Cambridge, Massachusetts, San Francisco or some liberal enclave, but definitely in Texas. I realize not all Texans or pro-CP, but I've spent some time in Texas, and this is a culture where adults will often reminisce fondly about how great it was that their daddy "wore their ass out with a belt."

As others have noted, what I LOVE about the release of this video is that it may contribute to a larger conversation in which some people's views of corporal punishment will change. Corporal punishment is not always an isolated mild swat to a 3-year-old which many imagine (not that I condone that). Legalized corporal punishment means what we saw in that video. This asshole's behavior is by no means uncommon, and our culture and laws n the U.S. absolutely enable it.

EDITED: to add a couple of missing words

[wtfrenchtoast]

I had to force myself to watch that, and I wasn't even beaten as a child. I don't understand how anyone can inflict that kind of pain on their own kid. Blows my mind. And I don't pity the mother at all. Not one bit. She didn't seem hesitant or scared to me at all. She was an active participant and I don't think she hit the girl any more softly than the father did. She seemingly put all her strength in it. It's disgusting. I'm so glad this is blowing up, because even if he doesn't get charged with anything, this will ruin him. I have faith in Texans, maybe too much, but oh well. A lot of my friends and family from home have seen this already and are horrified. I saw on Facebook that one of my old middle school teachers actually taught the girl's 8th grade health class. She feels guilty for not ever noticing or helping.

ETA:Look what I found! http://memewhore.tumblr.com/post/12260109868

[Sola]

I really don't want to get into this right now because as you can see my life's been made very difficult over this child."

Hey asshole. This child is your 23 year old disabled daughter. This child was 16 when you beat the living daylights out of her.

I couldn't care less if your life has been made difficult. You made her life a living hell. You're an asshole. I hope you rot in hell.

Edit:

BTW, for anyone who is not aware of her particular form of CP, here is the definition:

She looks like she has fairly good control. But, I've known enough people with CP (only a few with ataxic, I do admit) to know that stress, tiredness, and pain can make it harder to control movements.

How much she got blamed for being "willful," over the years and even in that video, when she was actually having trouble moving, completing a task, or placing something where she was aiming (due to lack of depth perception) is horrible to think about.

That's the type my daughter has. And yes stress, tiredness, pain, being upset, being scared all effect her motor control. Tremors are much more pronounced under those conditions too. I don't even want to think what this young lady has had to put up with over the years. My heart goes out to her.

[MonkeyMomma]

I barely caught the teaser on the Today Show, but they are having an "exclusive interview" with either Hilary. If you're in the central time zone, join me in watching your NBC affiliate.

[MonkeyMomma]

She's apparently expressed some regret about posting it.

She shouldn't have any regrets. Certainly not on behalf of her piece of shit father who needs to lose his judgeship asap or her spineless mother, who deserves twice as much scorn as she does pity.

Posting it was the right thing to do not just because these individuals deserve to be publicly outed, but because it sheds a bright light on an issue that too many people in this country think should be a "private matter".

Kids, whether they be tots or teenagers, disabled or able bodied, are human beings deserving of the same rights as adults not to be assaulted, tortured or terrorized. Hopefully, seeing something like this - which obviously wasn't an isolated incident - will help drive this point through even some of the thickest of skulls.

:clap: :clap: :clap:

[Buzzard]

It's an interesting and very difficult line. Parents want the right to raise their children as they see fit, whether that be homeschooling, "spanking", vaccinating or not etc. Any attempt to legislate regulations of these "rights" results in owning dissent of religious quashing/government interference etc. it's exceptionally difficult to find a happy medium between protecting children and protecting parental "rights" (I keep putting rights in quotes because I believe that the right is actually that of the child...).

This video blows open the "calm quiet" face of spanking, parents calmly administering blows to a complacent child but I doubt it changes much legislation wise. Homeschooled children are harmed by sotdrt, vaccination is an argument we've had many times, spanking is the only one that can be put up on YouTube but the damage can be done through all of these methods.

Maybe Anderson will get pearl's reaction to the video!

[apple1]

Maybe Anderson will get pearl's reaction to the video!

(Disclaimer: This statement is somewhat snarky).

Pearl would probably say that if they had beaten the tar out of kid when she was 4 months old, they wouldn't need to at age 16.

Although I am not aware of Pearl indicating that there is any upper-age limit on beating.

[annalena]

:clap: :clap: :clap:

No, they deserve more rights than adults, due to their age-given dependence on others, inability to judge certain situations and to defend themselves.

Only the weakest of men beat physically weaker ones, like women and children. At least go out and look for someone in your age and gender group. Oh, wait...maybe look for a professional boxer instead. :twisted:

[FlorenceHamilton]

As a survivor of physical abuse at the hands of my husband, this has been a difficult topic for me. One of the other posters commented that the judge would react differently if the same scenerio had happened and it was a strager who inflicted the blows. It's true. After I left my husband, it did not keep the reason a secret. I paid dearly professionally for being a known victim of wife beating. Ultimately, I asked colleagues and coworkers why they thought that being assaulted and beaten by a close relative is less troubling to them than being assaulted by a stranger. I asked why they did not think it was actually worse to be physically beaten (complete with bruisesand cuts) by someone who was supposed to be their safest companion than a stranger, in whom we have no inherent trust. People could not answer, but they did aknowledge that is the way they felt.

[thetabmeister]

I couldn't finish watching this. I am not disabled but as a child I too was subjected to spankings by a leather belt until age 15 or so, with a random one at 19. The verbal abuse also struck a chord. I am just now, over the last year or so, realizing how very wrong that was. As a child I honestly thought all kids were spanked and I believed that we got it easier than some since our parents didn't use a 2x4. smh I don't lay a finger on my kids. I can't.

[thoughtful]

(Disclaimer: This statement is somewhat snarky).

Pearl would probably say that if they had beaten the tar out of kid when she was 4 months old, they wouldn't need to at age 16.

Although I am not aware of Pearl indicating that there is any upper-age limit on beating.

And, of course he would note that this father was angry, and he always says not to hit in anger.

I can see how this child could have just as easily been hit as hard, and as many times, by a calm father, so that's moot, to me. But, to Pearl and his followers, it's The Whole Point, for their own weird reasons.

Not to mention that, if you look at the video, and take out the loudness and the cursing, he really is doing what Pearl says to do -- he's switching with a belt for an older child, he's giving directions on exactly how she has to position herself for the blows, he's expecting her to be compliant, and he's continuing to administer them until she gives up.

[treemom]

I waited to comment on this because the truth is for lots of kids, myself included this video was reminisicent of the way my parents spanked. The only defense I have of the mother is that she probably thought that if she got the spanking in the way the father wanted it he would lay off.

BTW, This was so normal to me...the video doesn't shock me, I have a hard time seeing it as abusive even if rationally I know it it. That is why there is a cycle of abuse.

(interestingly despite the fact that this is how my parents disciplined me...I suspect they would call CPS on me or intervene if I did it to my son.