Santa Ana CA. The Associated Press is reporting that Superior Court Judge Derek Johnson is being publicly admonished for saying a rape victim “didn’t put up a fight” during her assault and that if someone doesn’t want sexual intercourse, the body “will not permit that to happen.”
The California Commission on Judicial Performance voted 10-0 to impose a public admonishment. Lawrence J. Simi, the commission chairman wrote, “In the commission’s view, the judge’s remarks reflected outdated, biased and insensitive views about sexual assault victims who do not ‘put up a fight.’ Such comments cannot help but diminish public confidence and trust in the impartiality of the judiciary.”
The comments made by Johnson involved a case where a man threatened to “mutilate the face and genitals of his ex-girlfriend with a heated screwdriver, beat her with a metal baton and made other violent threats before committing rape, forced oral copulation and other crimes.”
Johnson said “I’m not a gynecologist, but I can tell you something: If someone doesn’t want to have sexual intercourse, the body shuts down. The body will not permit that to happen unless a lot of damage is inflicted, and we heard nothing about that in this case.”
Johnson later apologized and admitted his comments were ‘inappropriate.’ He said that the comments he made were a result of frustration during an argument with a prosecutor over the defendant’s sentence.
What is happening in our culture that is making men think or say that a woman’s body will shut down or refuse a rape? Did this Judge learn NOTHING from Todd Akin? Akin lost because of his asinine comment that a woman’s body has the ability to shut down a pregnancy from a rape. Richard Murdock tried to sell us the idea that rape babies were a gift from God. The rape dudes were shown the political door on November 6 for good reason.
One might assume there is some crazy conspiracy by certain men to take women back to the days when they had no voice, when they were not ‘allowed’ to vote and had virtually no rights. Maybe it’s just me….
Kimberley A. Johnson – A.K.A. The Anti Coulter is the author of The Virgin Diaries and an activist for women’s rights. Like her on Facebook, Twitter or friend her on FB HERE. Visit ARKStories to check out all of her books
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