The Sydney Morning Herald – June 7, 2007:
A judge granted a new trial on Wednesday for a former substitute teacher convicted of allowing students to view pornography on a classroom computer.
Prosecutors did not oppose the defence motion for a new trial for Julie Amero, 40, who had faced up to 40 years in prison after her January conviction.
Amero has adamantly denied clicking on pornographic websites that appeared on her classroom’s computer screen in October 2004 while she was teaching seventh-graders at Kelly Middle School in Norwich.
Some technology experts believe unseen spyware and adware programs might have generated the pop-up ads for pornographic websites. Amero and her supporters say the old computer, which she was ordered to leave on, lacked firewall or anti-spyware protections to prevent inappropriate pop-ups.
John has previously written about Ms Amero’s ordeal here.
This woman is a victim of an absurdly puritanical and zealously fundamentalist Xian agenda almost Taliban-like in nature…
But lets just pretend she was in fact a sex crazed loonbat who decided to look at porn in a classroom.
She got 40 years.
If I rob a gas station, I’ll get two or three years.
If I use a gun, 8 minimum.
If I kill the clerk, probably 15 to 25…
What a fucked up legal system we have…
Damn right this innocent woman gets a new trial, and I hope she is set up for life on easy street after the civil suit.
FANTASTIC!
Hopefully reason will be an ingredient in the coming trial.
SHE SHOULDN’T BE IN A TRIAL AT ALL! THE COURT SYSTEM NEEDS XANEX
This is still the U.S., so insanity has only been temporarily inconvenienced.
Was Nifong the prosecutor on this case too? As far as sentances go, don’t you know that anything sex related and underage is worse then killing someone now a days. Unless you are a hot female teacher and sleep with a student, then you just get probation.
I got a DWI last Saturday night, I’m going to fight it. I would rather have been smoking pot, which would’ve cleared my system by the time I left the pool hall, but I don’t have that choice.
I didn’t hit anybody, or hurt anything, or even weave — I was 10 mph over the limit on a highway at 10:30pm.
Ultimately, between higher insurance rates, fines, reinstatement ‘fees’ which I would deem illegal, and a lawyer — I’m looking at a bill of over $20,000. That’s a car. That’s a year of house payments.
Amendment VIII, where are you?
OFTLO, you nailed it.
Where on earth did they find an idiot judge to convict her?
Oh, sorry…. I forgot about Judge Peter “I don’t really understand what a website is” Openshaw.
That means the school administrators, cops, prosecutor, judge, and jury are all idiots.
Wanna bet the only smart ones in this whole mess are the 7th grade students who were “harmed”?
I’m very disgusted by this whole mess. I feel like looking these fools up and selling them a virtual bridge.
I cannot believe how all the loon civil libertarians
have focused on this case.
1). There’s absolutely no reason, a priori, to assume
she is, in fact, innocent. Sure, a court has to, but
WE don’t.
2). The whole first case stinks of “let’s give
the most horrifying maximally punitive conviction
and count on automatic appeal to nullify the whole
sticky mess”. There probably isn’t enough evidence
to convict, but, (and I don’t know why this isn’t seen
as important)) there equally isn’t enough evidence
to do this “Let’s wave the disapproving skulls of
Our Founding Fathers in protest!” act either. The civ-libs
can’t seem to thrive unless there’s a Waco case to get
all in a conniption about.
3). Regardless of the “truth”. I hope this whole
thing goes on her Permanent Record!
Way too much misplaced anger DBR. Did a substitute teacher make fun of you as a child?
I’m having trouble locating the specifics of the law she broke. I don’t understand how a judge can assign a long jail term to such a minor offense(IMO)… unless the law require he/she do so.
Anyway, it sounds like there’s probably not going to be a second trial (ie. she’s free)… good for her!
I suppose someone has proven it, but who says porn is bad for kids in the first place?
10. “I cannot believe how all the loon civil libertarians have focused on this case”
The fact that she’s obviously innocent means nothing to you?
“There’s absolutely no reason, a priori, to assume she is, in fact, innocent. Sure, a court has to, but WE don’t.”
Actually there is a reason. If you examine a case a priori, it means you are examining a case prior to looking at the evidence. What possible basis could you use to determine that someone is guilty if there is no evidence? Thus it logically follows that at the a priori stage, everyone is innocent.
“there equally isn’t enough evidence to do this “Let’s wave the disapproving skulls of Our Founding Fathers in protest!” act either.”
Actually, if you learn a little bit about the case you will know there is a more than ample evidence that she is in fact innocent.
“The civ-libs can’t seem to thrive unless there’s a Waco case to get all in a conniption about.”
Yes, most people do get into a conniption when an innocent person is facing 40 years of prison.
“I hope this whole thing goes on her Permanent Record! “
I hope she can get past this huge mistake and get one with her life.
#103). Regardless of the “truth”. I hope this whole
thing goes on her Permanent Record!
so, what you’re saying is that if i bring false charges against you then you are completely okay with it going down in your permanent record, right?
how about we subpoena your browsing history — ever accidentally hit any porn? how about we add you the sex offenders list?
ever read al jazeera, how about we put you on a no-fly list?
would you like that? apparently for you an accusation is all that’s needed — just like the good old days before the constitution and all those pesky individual rights and liberties, eh?
#7 Sorry, but if you were driving under the influence and got caught then $20,000 is a small price to pay for your stupidity. Too many people are killed each year by people driving after drinking.
I wonder what it would have cost if you had killed someone? Money, job, family or maybe even your soul.
#1
Almost??? There is no almost. This is radical religiosity is the same period.
America has lost it’s way badly in the last 6 years. It’s a train wreck that watching from the outside is frightening and saddening to watch.
Unfortunately some other world leaders don’t have the fortitude to go their own way (Hello Steven Harper), most probably because of economic decisions.
It’s just a sad time.
#13 – I suppose someone has proven it, but who says porn is bad for kids in the first place?
Comment by TheGlobalWarmer — 6/7/2007 @ 2:55 am
Exactly. I’m sure its not a good idea to sit kids down on the floor every day and show them movies filled with big tits, pearl necklaces, and anal penetration… But the idea that seeing some porn one afternoon by mistake will warp their minds and cause irreparable damage is absurd.
What hurts kids is the puritanical idea that sex is evil.
#17 – I feel comfortable with “almost” because so far Evangelical Xians haven’t stoned any teenage girls to death in the church parking lot for wearing a crop top and shorts.
But give it a few years….
#10 – DBR – You win the Ultimate King Kahuna Moron Award today. That is the most asinine statement I’ve ever read. You must be a rabid DA.
#14 – Jerk Face – Again you fail to live up to your name. Nice comeback.
#7, DK
I got a DWI last Saturday night, I’m going to fight it.
If you are innocent, then good, fight it. I hope you prove you were not intoxicated.
If you were over the limit then I hope your sorry ass spends a couple of months behind bars. Maybe you were lucky this time. Maybe you will learn not to drink and drive. Maybe you’re just some effen asshole that thinks he is above the law and can damn well do as you please. Maybe you didn’t kill anyone because the cop pulled you over ¼ mile from where you would have blind sided another car.