sounds like the judge has a trust fund now...

From the Huffington Post:


A Delaware man convicted of raping his three-year-old daughter only faced probation after a state Superior Court judge ruled he "will not fare well" in prison.

In her decision, Judge Jan Jurden suggested Robert H. Richards IV would benefit more from treatment. Richards, who was charged with fourth-degree rape in 2009, is an unemployed heir living off his trust fund. The light sentence has only became public as the result of a subsequent lawsuit filed by his ex-wife, which charges that he penetrated his daughter with his fingers while masturbating, and subsequently assaulted his son as well.

Richards is the great grandson of du Pont family patriarch Irenee du Pont, a chemical baron.

According to the lawsuit filed by Richards' ex-wife, he admitted to assaulting his infant son in addition to his daughter between 2005 and 2007. Richards was initially indicted on two counts of second-degree child rape, felonies that translate to a 10-year mandatory jail sentence per count. He was released on $60,000 bail while awaiting his charges.

Richards hired one of the state's top law firms and was offered a plea deal of one count of fourth-degree rape charges -- which carries no mandatory minimum prison sentencing. He accepted, and admitted to the assault.

In her sentence, Jurden said he would benefit from participating in a sex offenders rehabilitation program rather than serving prison time.

I wonder if this judge is an elected judge or an appointed one. If she's elected there's your reason right there, that's a family that can personally finance her next campaign.

Someone should get his picture and post it everywhere around that town with exactly what he did, someone would get him.

that family most likely has already financed her campaign and/or the campaign of the person who appointed her. the DuPonts own De.

I wonder if this judge is an elected judge or an appointed one. If she's elected there's your reason right there, that's a family that can personally finance her next campaign.

Someone should get his picture and post it everywhere around that town with exactly what he did, someone would get him.

Judge Jan R. Jurden

Judge Jan R. Jurden The Honorable Jan R. Jurden, a Delaware native, was appointed to the Superior Court of Delaware in May 2001.

After serving three years in the United States Army overseas, Judge Jurden received her B.A. summa *** laude from Muhlenberg College in 1985 and her J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law (now the Dickinson School of Law of the Pennsylvania State University) in 1988 where she was an Articles Editor of the Law Review and a member of the Woolsack Honor Society.

She practiced law as an Associate with the law firm of Young, Conaway, Stargatt & Taylor from 1988 to 1995 concentrating on corporate, commercial and personal injury litigation, and became a Partner in 1996. She continued her law practice at Young, Conaway until May 2001. During her 13 years at Young, Conaway, Judge Jurden litigated cases in the U.S. District Court, Delaware Supreme Court, Superior Court, Court of Chancery, Family Court and Court of Common Pleas.

Since its inception in 2008, Judge Jurden has overseen Superior Court’s Mental Health Court. She oversaw the Conflict Attorney Program, providing representation for indigent defendants from 2006 to 2008. She previously served as Civil Administrative Judge and Criminal Administrative Judge. She is a member of the Court's Complex Commercial Litigation Division.

Judge Jurden is a member of the American Bar and the Delaware State Bar Associations and the National Association of Women Judges. She is a member of the Advisory Committee on the Delaware Rules of Evidence and the Advisory Committee on Professionalism. She is a former member of the Richard S. Rodney Inn of Court.

Judge Jurden was the 2011 recipient of the Outstanding Service to the Courts and Bar Award, presented by the Delaware State Bar Association to a judge or lawyer who “by exemplary service to the Delaware Courts and the Delaware Bar has substantially assisted the Courts and the Bar and strengthened the public trust and confidence in the State’s court system and the administration of justice.”

She was the 2009 recipient of Sylvia H. Rambo Award presented by the Women’s Law Caucus of the Pennsylvania State University Dickinson School of Law “honoring a woman in the legal profession who has had a distinguished career and who, by example, has made the professional success of other women more likely.”

She was the 1997 recipient of the Caleb R. Layton III Service Award awarded to one who "personifies the qualities of a federal practitioner, legal acumen, professional decorum and public service."

She was also the 1996 recipient of the New Lawyers Distinguished Service Award, awarded to one who, "by exemplary leadership and service dedicated to the cause of good citizenship in civic and humanitarian service over a period of less than ten years has maintained the integrity and honored recognition of the legal profession in community affairs and who, as an outstanding Delawarean, has unceasingly advanced the ideals of citizen participation and community accomplishment, thus reflecting high honor on both country and profession."

Judge Jurden's present term ends May 29, 2013.

Richards pleaded guilty in 2008 to fourth-degree rape — a deal that helped him dodge any jail time.

Superior Judge Jan Jurden sentenced Richards to eight years in prison, but suspended the time for probation that requires monthly visits with a case officer.

(a) A person is guilty of rape in the fourth degree when the person:

(1) Intentionally engages in sexual intercourse with another person, and the victim has not yet reached that victim's sixteenth birthday; or

(2) Intentionally engages in sexual intercourse with another person, and the victim has not yet reached that victim's eighteenth birthday, and the person is 30 years of age or older, except that such intercourse shall not be unlawful if the victim and person are married at the time of such intercourse; or

(3) Intentionally engages in sexual penetration with another person under any of the following circumstances:

a. The sexual penetration occurs without the victim's consent; or

b. The victim has not reached that victim's sixteenth birthday; or

(4) Intentionally engages in sexual intercourse or sexual penetration with another person, and the victim has reached that victim's sixteenth birthday but has not yet reached that victim's eighteenth birthday and the defendant stands in a position of trust, authority or supervision over the child, or is an invitee or designee of a person who stands in a position of trust, authority or supervision over the child.

(b) Paragraphs (a)(3) and (a)(4) of this section do not apply to a licensed medical doctor or nurse who places 1 or more fingers or an object inside a vagina or anus for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment or to a law-enforcement officer who is engaged in the lawful performance of his or her duties.

Rape in the fourth degree is a class C felony.

71 Del. Laws, c. 285, § 10; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1.;

(a) A sentence of incarceration for a felony shall be a definite sentence.

(b) The term of incarceration which the court may impose for a felony is fixed as follows:

(1) For a class A felony not less than 15 years up to life imprisonment to be served at Level V except for conviction of first-degree murder in which event § 4209 of this title shall apply.

(2) For a class B felony not less than 2 years up to 25 years to be served at Level V.

(3) For a class C felony up to 15 years to be served at Level V.

(4) For a class D felony up to 8 years to be served at Level V.

(5) For a class E felony up to 5 years to be served at Level V.

(6) For a class F felony up to 3 years to be served at Level V.

(7) For a class G felony up to 2 years to be served at Level V.

(c) In the case of the conviction of any felony, the court shall impose a sentence of Level V incarceration where a minimum sentence is required by subsection (b) of this section and may impose a sentence of Level V incarceration up to the maximum stated in subsection (b) of this section for each class of felony.

(d) Where a minimum, mandatory, mandatory minimum or minimum mandatory sentence is required by subsection (b) of this section, such sentence shall not be subject to suspension by the court.

(e) Where no minimum sentence is required by subsection (b) of this section, or with regard to any sentence in excess of the minimum required sentence, the court may suspend that part of the sentence for probation or any other punishment set forth in § 4204 of this title.

(f) Any term of Level V incarceration imposed under this section must be served in its entirety at Level V, reduced only for earned "good time" as set forth in § 4381 of this title.

(g) No term of Level V incarceration imposed under this section shall be served in other than a full custodial Level V institutional setting unless such term is suspended by the court for such other level sanction.

(h) The Department of Corrections, the remainder of this section notwithstanding, may house Level V inmates at a Level IV work release center or halfway house during the last 180 days of their sentence; provided, however, that the first 5 days of any sentence to Level V, not suspended by the court, must be served at Level V.

(i) The Department of Corrections, the remainder of this section notwithstanding, may grant Level V inmates 48-hour furloughs during the last 120 days of their sentence to assist in their adjustment to the community.

(j) No sentence to Level V incarceration imposed pursuant to this section is subject to parole.

(k) In addition to the penalties set forth above, the court may impose such fines and penalties as it deems appropriate.

(l) In all sentences for less than 1 year the court may order that more than 5 days be served in Level V custodial setting before the Department may place the offender in Level IV custody.

67 Del. Laws, c. 130, § 6; 67 Del. Laws, c. 260, § 1; 71 Del. Laws, c. 98, § 6; 74 Del. Laws, c. 106, §§ 9, 10.;

I have NEVER heard of someone getting let off like this on such a charge. Usually they get several years in prison. Someone this sick wont change and he basically got a free pass and he WILL do it again.

that family most likely has already financed her campaign and/or the campaign of the person who appointed her. the DuPonts own De.

Should check facts, she is a political appointee and there is no election.