Bible thumping judge gives rich white rapist a pass on jail time
https://www.nbc12.com/2021/11/22/man-gets-no-jail-time-ny-rape-case/?fbclid=IwAR3EW_nwquHb74q7nR6gTeSLClDuh9OMFuJTugFnOgPGualHLD5ejq1IUp0“Through treatment and reflection, I’ve come to feel deep shame and regret for my actions. None of you deserved to be in this situation,” said Christopher Belter when addressing the court Wednesday.
Belter, 20, spoke before his sentencing for the rape and sexual assault of four teenage girls.
“I know though, that a scar will remain that will serve as a reminder of the evil of that night,” he said.
Some of his victims were in the courtroom for his sentencing when Niagara County Court Judge Matthew Murphy handed down his sentence of probation.
Belter won’t serve a day behind bars for the crimes that happened at his family’s Lewiston home from 2017 to 2018.
Belter was sentenced as an adult. Murphy denied him youthful offender status for violating his probation by bypassing monitoring software on his computer to view pornography.
But Murphy said he decided prison time would be inappropriate.
“I agonized. I’m not ashamed to say that I actually prayed over what is the appropriate sentence in this case, because there was great pain,” the judge said. “There was great harm. There were multiple crimes committed in the case.”
Attorney Steve Cohen represents one of the victims and is outraged with the sentence. Cohen says there were zero consequences for Belter violating his previous probation.
“He is privileged. He comes from money. He is white. He’s being sentenced as an adult, appropriately,” Cohen said. “And for an adult to get away with these crimes without doing jail time is unjust.”
His client was clearly upset and in tears when the sentence was read.