Judge Superville expains his thoughts on verdict of 14 year old’s case in Paris Texas
Categories: African-American, Education, Justice/Law Enforcement, Media
Written By: Shawn Williams
More information is coming out which is one of the good thing of the attention that this story has gotten. Here is Judge Superville’s side from the Paris News. Hopefully the healing process is about to begin.
Superville: Look at all the facts
By Mary Madewell The Paris News
Published March 25, 2007
County Judge Chuck Superville says he fears for the community’s safety and is calling for the national media and other organizations to investigate the facts before drawing conclusions about the Shaquanda Cotton case.
The judge said a March 12 story in The Chicago Tribune unfairly painted the community as racist and a recent protest as well as the threat of future protests by organized groups with national media coverage could “spin this thing out of control.”
Superville said he has refrained from commenting until now because of his position as the judge in the Cotton case, but that he believes he has a higher duty as county judge to maintain order in the community.
“I call on the media and others involved to go to the public record to get the facts of the case before they rush to judgment,” Superville said Saturday.
Superville said after a three-day jury trial, which found that Cotton committed an act of juvenile delinquency — namely assault causing bodily injury against a public servant — he determined the best place for her would be Texas Youth Commission.
“If Shaquanda had been white, the outcome would have been the same,” Superville said. “My decision was based on facts and law and I am confident this was the correct decision based on the facts I was presented.”
The March 2006 case is on appeal with the Texarkana Court of Appeals. The court conducted a 10-hour hearing in August 2006 to consider a request that Cotton be released on bond.
The judge said Cotton could have been released at that time but would not speculate why the appellate court did not grant the bond. The judge said he presented the facts of the case and that attorneys for both the prosecution and for Cotton presented arguments.
Superville said he gave the 14-year old an indeterminate sentence up to seven years — her 21st birthday.
“Once I set the indeterminate sentence, Shaquanda holds the key to her jail cell,” Superville said. “It is up to the child and TYC.”
In explaining the juvenile process, Superville said after a jury makes it’s finding, the judge determines the disposition.
“I am bound by law to ask lawyers whether or not reasonable effort has been made to prevent or eliminate the need for the child to be removed from her home,” Superville said.
“I also must determine whether or not there is enough family support to assist the child in successfully completing terms and conditions of probation,” Superville said.
“Thirdly, I must determine whether or not it is in the child’s best interest to be removed from the home,” the judge said.
“Both lawyers presented evidence on those points,” Superville explained. “The county attorney put on a substantial amount of evidence that Shaquanda had been a persistent behavior problem at school and that the mother failed to cooperate at every turn.”
“I asked if there was anything that could be done that had not already been done and the repeated answer was ‘no,’” Superville said.
Superville said reports from Lamar County Juvenile Probation Department also weighed on his decision. Before a juvenile trial which could result in probation, the probation department conducts a fact-finding survey.
“The juvenile officer said the mother refused to cooperate and said he had no reason to believe the mother would cooperate if Shaquanda received probation,” Superville said.
“That theme was repeated witness after witness—that the mother made it impossible to help Shaquanda,” Superville said. “She blamed everyone except the child for misbehavior.”
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March 26th, 2007 at 6:32 am
Assuming what this Judge has said is true, the comment made by the long-time educator during Tavis’ recent visit to Dallas still holds a lot of weight: “WE are leaving our children behind.”
March 26th, 2007 at 9:26 am
I’m going to have to agree with the comment above. It takes a community to raise kids in today’s society. You can’t rely completely on the school system to do that.
Thanks for taking the time to put both sides of what’s going on out there. People need to see this and hopefully some positive change will come out of it.
March 26th, 2007 at 9:35 am
I don’t feel the judge fixed anything. With the way our justice system is these days, nothing can make me beleive this girl deserved 7 years of hard prison time. I bet the teacher aide finished work that day and didn’t miss work the next day. Also, there isn’t any mention of exhausting other means of disciplinary action against the teenager. It is what it is, unjust and extremely cruel punishment. All this in a country spending all it’s money to fight a war against a country we claim doesn’t practice democracy and is terroristic. Looks like to me with stuff like this we aren’t far behind.
March 26th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
All the statements are true that have been said. Now from the otherside of the fence. I had been a juvenile probation officer in the State of Texas for over 12 years. Ten in Harris County (Houston) and two in Dallas County. It is sad to say that the judge has a valid point about parental involvement. There have been many cases whereas I have been dealing with parents who allow children to raise themselves for whatever the reason and then when they get into trouble they have a little angel and why is the system against their baby. Don’t get me wrong the system is setup(stacked against) our African American children and all other minorities, however we as parents can not run and cuss because our child has done something and we want results.
We must be present in our childrens lives for every aspect. We must make the time for them. I know it may be easier said than done but we must find a way. I have seen first hand many lives of chidren fallen due to parental neglect. I know all parents love their children but, I can’t understand how someone can not be cooperative with an invesitgation that will effect their lives. We also have to deal with the parents who are the “I can’t do anything with them, yall just take them away”. What most fail to realize is that they must return home after thaey get out of placement.
Parents PLEASE be active with your children. So situations like this one will not happen. If a child has a history of problems of commits a felony like this young lady, there is only so much the system can avoid. Do not wait until it is too late. I just hate it took something like this to wake up everyone. It happens everyday all over, small towns and large cities alike.
March 27th, 2007 at 2:41 am
I’m thankful to see the judge’s comments. I did not believe for one minute the account when I first read it in the Chicago Tribune. I saw that the relevant facts as to personal responsibility and home-training were brushed over, not registering on the reporter’s radar-screen. Our children get left behind everytime they see the race-card being played, they get the message that apart from racial spin, their personal pain might as well be invisible.
God bless Shaquanda. I pray that she receives mercy because she is a child and should not suffer because of her parent’s misplaced priorities. And likewise that her mother learns to hope in the Lord and not civil rights, the arm of man. All of us should be on our knees, time out for the experts, the arm of flesh has supplanted moral values in our black family structure for 40 years now in the name of civil rights & equality. The results could not be more plain.
And a little child shall lead them…
vashti
March 27th, 2007 at 9:17 am
There are children all over the world that need their parents. Parents need to be PARENTS, but the fact of the matter is when you live in an environment where the moral is VERY LOW, you will find this kind of behavior by both, the parents and the children. If Texas wasn’t still living in the 1940’s, and give all people fair judgement, they wouldn’t have as many issues with the people. White children are just as bad. Keep in mind, we have babies having babies in all races, therefore, most of them don’t know a proper rasing method, then you have the drunk and drugee parents who can’t even help themselves and most importantly there are some parents who just don’t care, lazy, good for nothing…the parent who had a bunch of kids just to get a check. Always have an open mind. Some kids do things, no reflection on the parents…somethings just happen. Although that same child will grow up to be respected by the public and very successful. The remedy is to assist in teaching the parents a better way and help the child by showing them how to deal with anger, racism, and life…don’t cut the soul of child where are scorned for the rest of their life. Then you have an on-going problem that may go from generation to generation. Key word - HELP, not hurt.
March 27th, 2007 at 9:26 am
The judge is only allowed to make a decision on the law, not on the mothers ability to help her chlid. Then the judge was talking as if he was trying to help her; although, he stated how she had behavior issues with the school before.
And stability, what does he mean, he had given a pyro kid probation for burning his parents house down that could potentially kill his family, has a stable home life? That his family can assit him to become stable mentally.
The judge believes the pyro kid is less harmful to others than a 13 year old girl pushing a hall moniter, that the school has over a dozen school complaints on racism. The hall moniter could have said a very racist slang to her and she responded back.
In conclusion, he is a racist, he has no grounds to give a sentence that severe to a minor issue. The mother was against the judges suggestions because they were unfair for a young child.
March 27th, 2007 at 9:44 am
I too am a product of the Paris school systems & I applaude your efforts to educate the miseducated" about the fact surrouding this controversial issue. I guess what we need to do is try to figure out how heal a wound that is festering to a boil.
How do you reapair the riff that is developing in a community that obviously needs healing? Her mother needs to pray to God for guidance in this matter & accept that it is all a part of his devine plan. Shaquanda is a child that obviously made a mistake, which we all have done as a child.
She is caught up in this madness & is ultimately the one who is suffering. Can this matter be rectified without loosing sight of the most important issue the welfare and well-being of Shaquanda an all the children in Paris?
March 27th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
The Judge is a racist and only looking for an excuse..
March 27th, 2007 at 8:11 pm
This is clearly people throwing the race card for their own political ends. The judge stated that int this case the parent (such that she is) is refusing to accept that the child has done anything wrong. She took that with the school over multiple incidents, with the prosecutors and with juvenile services. With that attitude no effective behavior change is possible. The mother left the judge no alternative for behavior modification other than the TYC. If the child learns to behave properly, she can be out of there quite soon. The judge is right that the key to the door is in the child’s own hand.
Clearly the mother set her daughter up for this and bears primary responsibility for her daughter being in TYC.
March 27th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
What is the rest of America to think of Texas? The state of Texas routinely puts more people to death than the rest of the country combined. The recurring injustices such as that in Tulia Texas indicate that there are serious and very deep problems with “Texas Justice”.
I hope some enterprisng reporter or blogger sifts through the judges past rulings to see if this type of sentence is handed out more to non-white defendants than white ones.
Also, I think that after GW Bush, Tom DeLay, Enron and all the rest, America has serious Texas fatigue.
March 27th, 2007 at 9:37 pm
It is amazing what people will believe. The Judge’s comments are nothing more that a spin tactic to make the public believe that what he did to this CHILD is fair and just in the name of the “LAW”. We THINK that this Judge is being open and honest by sharing his comments regarding this case. Maybe he does believe his own bullshit. But let’s call his statement what it is. It’s BULLSHIT!! I hope that I am not the only person who finds it strange that this Judge is trying to justify his actions. I hold strong and firm to the fact that Ms. Cotton is a target of a systematic manifestation of racial abuse that exists in Paris, Tx. I too am a former resident of Paris, Tx. I KNOW the mentality of the people that reside in this town. I am not saying that she did nothing wrong. I agree that some punishment should have been meted out. But sentencing her to PRISON for “pushing” someone is a clear abuse of judicial power by a racist judge in a racist town. Racism does exist and it is alive and well in Paris, Tx.
I want to address the comments that the Judge said that she “did not have parental support” and she was a “persistant problem”. Where at any point was CPS ever involved in this child’s life? If there was truely a problem in the home, where are the CPS case files documenting these problems? Why did the Judge deem Prison a more suitable place for this CHILD and not a foster home? It could have been an option for the Judge to remove her from the home and place her in foster care if returning her to the custody of her mother would have been an issue. I see her mother’s SUPPORT in the way she stood by her child (and continues to stand by her)during this extremely difficult time. She believed her daughter when she said (metaphorically)”I am not the person these people are trying to make me believe that I am”. Their unified stance is only seen as defiance by those who CHOOSE to see it that way. I am familiar with how some mother’s raise (laughable) their daughter’s in Paris, Tx. and I commend Creola Cotton for not deserting her daughter. And as for a “pesistant problem”, I find his statement to be very vague. Where is her criminal background before this incident? Being written up at school is not grounds for PRISON!! It is grounds for EXPULSION from SCHOOL!!
I am deeply saddened by some of the comments I have read regarding Shaquanda Cotton. Let’s please remember that this is a CHILD that we are discussing. A CHILD whose CHILHOOD is being raped and ripped from her.
March 27th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
Are you kidding me? Seven years for shoving someone? This is the biggest abuse of power that I have ever heard of. In fact men who abuse their wives, drug dealers, and child abusers get less time then the judge gave this girl. Furthermore if he is so concerned about the girls well being and the support of her family, then why did he give a 14 year old white girl that intentionally burnt down her family’s home only probation? So for all of you that feel that race was not a factor in this case I suggest that you take a look at the judges past cases, and the racial history of this community
March 28th, 2007 at 11:03 am
Racist people always try to justify their actions. There is absolutely no justification for sentencing a 14 year, old without a prior criminal record, to 7 years in lockup for “shoving” someone.
The obvious solution to remedy this injustice is to remove the “Judge” from office. He is most likely an “elected official” of Lamar county. Concerned persons wanting to remove this so-called Judge from office can begin by contributing to a fund to have his sentencing record investigated and made public, and by funding his opposition in the next election. Send me an email if you agree to:ogcollector@yahoo.com.
March 28th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
This is a lesson to be learned by everyone. If you don’t take the time to teach our children and raise them, someone else will (I am not saying that this mother did not raise her child right). In this case it is the prison system that will raise this child. Some kids are not behind bars, but are locked away to society (drugs dealers, gangs, sex, and image). Please as a parent do your part. If the school calls, go to visit. If another parent has something to tell you about your kid, listen. I’m not saying that they are all right, but as a parent you can’t be with your child all the time. Remember when you were inside, before the street lights came on and every adult was addressed as ma or sir. If some of the values were still in place, we would not need curfews and we would not disrespect one another.
For this Child and every other child sake PLEASE!!!! BE THERE FOR YOUR KIDS
March 28th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
I think some of the comments here, blaming the parents, are crap!
When are schools going to face up to the fact that
the mistreatment of children results in the
misbehavior, not the other way around?
There is absolutely no justification for sending
a child to prison for seven years for such an
incident. How much punishment was meted out to
this kid over the years?If you think this
sentence is fair, you are part of the problem.
March 29th, 2007 at 5:57 am
The judge said that Cotton “committed an act of juvenile delinquency”…isn’t burning down a house also a juvenile deliquency? And what does it say about parents who raise a child who would destroy another family’s livelihood? But he only gave that white nutcase probation. And when did shoving someone become grounds for imprisoning anyone, let alone a minor with no previous record?
March 29th, 2007 at 7:31 am
Before you go off the deep end know the facts:
1. She received an indeterminate sentence to TYC–not a 7 year sentence.
2.
March 29th, 2007 at 9:00 am
Regardless of race, behavior background or parental support, NO child should be sentenced to 7 years (to a facility that is currently being investigated for physical and sexual abuse) for pushing a teacher. Firstly, any teacher who would press charges against a child for being pushed doesn’t belong in the teaching profession. Obviously teachers need to know that they are safe but, as a former teacher of EBD children, a teenage girl full of hormones needs compassion and support, not to be prosecuted for acting out her anger. I am absolutely disgusted by Judge Superville’s decision and NO list of facts or record of negative behavior or questions about the mother’s ability to mother could change my mind. If Judge Superville was concerned about Shiquondra’s well-being, he could recommend that Child Protective Services investigate her home life but sending her 300 miles away from her family to a facility that sounds worse than an abusive home is not the answer. I can’t imagine that any court would consider 7 years for a 14 year old girl who “assaulted” a teacher a fair sentence, no matter the evidence.
March 29th, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Why didn’t he comment on the decision he made 3 months earlier concerning the 14 yr old white girl who burned down her house? He only gave her probation. Does he really think someone who is capable of burning down a house is tame enough to be on the street? He didn’t comment on it because he can never justify that degree of injustice.
March 30th, 2007 at 2:25 am
I’m from Paris and I know this truth you reap what you sow.Paris,Tx better pray that God is taking the day off,I am ashame to say i’m from Paris.The horror of this whole case is that it happens every day.Black or white truth is truth they better let that girl go……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
March 31st, 2007 at 6:03 pm
Just read this story on NPR and the Tribune article. Sad, Sad, Sad.
For everyone that is saying she wasn’t sentenced to 7 years only an indeterminent amount of time. SHE WAS ARRESTED AND INCARCERATED FOR PUSHING SOMEONE! You shouldn’t go to jail for that.
Am I the only one who see’s the Judge’s comments as vague and non-descript.
Get the court transcripts see what actually was said.
Most people who have been to court to fight against anything the government has done against them quickly realize that the system is stacked against them no matter what color you are. Even worse if your a young black female or male. That’s a fact that can’t be denied.
Also for all of the people with blinders on Racism is alive and well. As a white (blond hair, blue eyed) male; who lives in Michigan I hear and see racism every week. People automatically assume because I’m white it’s alright to tell me some joke or complain about “them” people.
April 1st, 2007 at 9:21 am
Racism is alive and well in the good old US or A. Judge Chuck Superville is a racist and had I known about this case before hand I would have a webside up about that Judge. You cannot put someone in jail for up to 7 years for shoving someone. Even if the girl had a past, shoving someone does not deserve up to 7 years in prison.
The wonderful Judge Chuck Superville as he is known in the town is a moron and he will have his due. He is trying to justify sending a 14yr girl to jail for up to 7 years because she had some write up’s. OH PLEEZE. He is the same judge who sentance the 14yr white arsonist to probation and then when the brat violated probation she was given probation again.
This judge is a racist, he looks like one and he acts like one. I wouldn’t be suprised if he’s a member of the KKK.
April 2nd, 2007 at 8:39 pm
Obviously the outcome in this case is not entirely Judge Superville’s fault. (The DA has considerable discretion in deciding what types of charges to bring and what punishment to push for). Though I doubt either the DA or Judge Superville reads these posts, I hope they realize the poor job they did in this case.
I find it hard to believe that either the DA or Judge were unaware with problems with TYC, the arbitrary and capricous manner in which TYC had granted releases over the past years, or the numerous law review articles and studies detailing disparities in school discipline along racial lines.
Further, I find Judge Superville’s comments unconvinicing as to the need for incarceration because of the child’s home life. If the home was deficient, he had other options than incarceration or an indeterminate sentence (he is being disingenious when he suggests otherwise).
Moreover, many of the “problems” that made her home life unsuitable, referenced Mrs. Cotton’s political, civil rights activities, and her complaints against the school board for disparate treatment. I am sure this Judge and his supporters would not want these types of activities counted against them in deciding whether their home life was suitable.
Luckily, the judge can hide behind the fact that the transcripts from this trial are sealed because Shaquanda Cotton was a juvenile and make veiled, vague statements about unsuitable home life and lack of cooperation. However, I hope he and his supporters appreciate the wrongfulness of his conduct and his failure to uphold his oath in this case. Otherwise, I am sure he will be doomed to repeat his mistakes.
April 9th, 2007 at 7:36 am
The problem that the judge tried to explain away with judicial jargon is this: why was this child brought to his court in the first place? She had no prior offenses, and the issue of pushing a hall monitor should have been handled within the school walls (suspension, or after school detention, etc). Instead, this case was sent straight to the judicial courts, and because the mother did not cooperate with this process, and rightly so, the judge throws the book at the child. What is wrong with this picture?
Any fair judge would have looked at the spirit of the law and not the letter of the law, which means that when this case came to him in the first place, he should have looked at the evidence, and come to the conclusion of, “why are we wasting tax payers money on something like this that should have been handled at the school administrative level?” Instead, he went by the book and threw the book at this kid. Is it because the offender was black and the victim was white? Well one can conclude from the overwhelming evidence of racial bias thruought the Texas judicial system that this was just another example of what goes on in Texas all the time.
April 10th, 2007 at 5:22 am
The judge should have his daughter brought up on the same charges and lets see the look on his racist face. As they say, what goes around comes around Judge!!
April 10th, 2007 at 6:18 am
I feel the judge is full of it.
From what I understand the aid pushed Cotton several times and let some white students in the school when this was taking place. I also understand that this same judge gave a white teen age person probation after the white child set fire to there house burning it down.
I totally agree with A. Lewis about it being racial bias and this needs to be stopped. I find this totally unexceptable in this day and age.
April 20th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
In the midst of all this where are our community leaders that jumped at the chance to scold Imus? This town needs a spiritual and ethical cleansing. Mrs. Cotton and her daughter should be applauded for standing up to the BULLY. And even though they lost the FIGHT the BULLY will no longer pick on them. As a matter of fact the BULLY will start losing FIGHTS in which he is in the right. The statement in the article ” Blacks are being sent a message ” is true and the message is stay in your place or WE will put you in your place.
April 21st, 2007 at 11:04 am
It’s very simple: A 14yr. old black girl was given 7 years for simple assult.A 14yr. old white girl was given probation for arson, three months prior, by the same judge. Last time I checked, arson is a more serious charge than simple assult.
And the really sad part of it is that the black girl will now be infamous and will be judged negatively, again & again, throughout her life (e.g.job interview) by this event.
April 24th, 2007 at 4:12 pm
THIS judge better pray and pray until he is sick…I am totally disgusted. I also read…In highlighting what he called an egregious miscarriage of justice in a town with a long history of civil rights abuses, Anderson pointed to the case of the 14-year-old convicted arson (whose name was not released because of her age), who was slapped with probation, and the case of a 19-year-old White man in Paris, convicted of killing a 54-year-old Black woman and her 3-year-old grandson with his truck….Paris TX is the DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND
April 25th, 2007 at 9:15 pm
There are some serious problems with this entire story. Nothing this judge or anyone else says can justify sending a 14 year old girl(with no criminal background) to jail for 7 years for something as small as pushing someone. If this is not a classic example of racism then it is pure stupidity of an entire community. Someone like Judge Superville does not deserve a post as honorable as judge if he makes poor decisions like this on a regular basis. Since when is shoving someone more serious than burning a family’s entire house down? And what about the guy who killed not just one person, but a senior and a toddler. How is shoving more serious than murder?!! Anyone who actually agrees with such poor performance of the justice system needs to put their brain to work and figure out that this is not fair punishment, but a vile and disgusting example of racism that needs to be stopped in America.
April 27th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
This case reeks of racism.
Plain and simple, a 14yr. old black girl was given 7 years for simple assault. A 14yr. old white girl was given probation for burning down her family’s home 3 months earlier. No judge in their right mind would make a ruling like this, it reeks of out and out racism. WHY CAN”T EVERYONE SEE THAT.
The real problem in Eastern Texas is that racism has taught to generation after generation of white children.
That’s how idiot’s like Superville (I won’t even call him a judge) get to be in positions of power. He has no business being in a courtroom presiding over someone’s life.
There’s a big problem in the small towns of Eastern Texas. The continuos national coverage of hate crimes against blacks only serves to blemish this region and the decent white people who live there.
Wake up! It’s 2007. Slavery has been over for 142 years, it’s not coming back.
May 4th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Now let’s get the judges statment on why a convicted juvenile murderer and arsonist was granted probation. I guess they have strong family values, morals and guidance.
HUMMM!
May 11th, 2007 at 4:58 am
I must say i am not suprised with Judge Chuck Superville’s verdict and shamefull sentence of this little girl. This just goes to show how the judicial system in the United States and especially in states such as Texas are viewed around the civilised world as sick, sadistic and uterly racist. For when one of our children can end up in prison serving a sentence which will effect her whole life for juvenile school incident is utterly ridiculous. I have read comments criticising the child’s mother for not cooperating with the school, but ask yourself’s what has that got to do with the childs charge and sentence?
Did the school fail the child?
What support was offered to the child if she was such a concern at school?
Would not an exclusion served more purpose than a seven year sentence?
Were Social Sevices offering support?
What sort of Defence eterney cant defend a fifteen year old girl in these circumstance?
Brothers and Sisters ask yourselves, How many of our children will we allow to be destroyed by sick, ideolistic, perverted individuals such as Judge Chuck Superville?
Daniel Lowe
London, England.
May 29th, 2007 at 3:50 pm
I am absolutely horrified about this entire situation. Any parent, any, should be equally horrified that this happens in our good ole US of A.
It’s clear to me that the judge (according to his statement to the media) was more concerned about the mother’s “cooperation” than he was with the correction of Shaquanda’s behavior. Apparently, I was incorrect in assuming that juvenile delinquency should be approached by a corrective method versus punishment. Murderers have been sentenced to less time! What will become of Shaquanda once she has served this time? Will she become “cooperative” to an unjust system? Will she bow her head and become submissive to the very laws that were not there to protect her as a child?
There is no wonder that such a high percentage of African American youth drop out of school, end up in prison. I have two daughters, both have college degrees but the road was not easy. My husband and I had to basically “demand” rights of equal education — yes, in this day and age. And we were always at the schools in good and bad times. It is difficult for my white counterparts to understand that: when they send their children off to school for the day, and I send my children off; the color of their skin makes a difference in how their day will end. It’s absolutely true. It may not be every day or every single teacher, but the principle holds true.
I only wish there is more that could be done, something that I can do to help Shaquanda and the other Shaquanda’s in our society.
May 29th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Charity,
The most important part of your response was “My husband and I” followed closely by “And we were” in regards to school involvement. As our family structure in the African-American community has de-stabilized, so has our education attainment.
To raise two college graduates is awesome. My stepmom raised three, two of them being African-American males. We have to find a way to keep our families together.
June 19th, 2007 at 10:40 am
This incident just came to my attention, and I’m sure it’s making waves around the country. I wonder how with the knowledge of the pyro girl’s case of probation the media, usually labeled liberal, hasn’t attempted to solicit a response from the judge Chuck Superville about the disparity in judgements in the two cases. To simply call him racist doesn’t address a lot. He was already racist. He is a part of a system that openly uses institutionalization as a front for their own purposes. That is why he was already racist. This also makes the local media questionable. They should have called him on this for direct response by now.
October 29th, 2007 at 11:35 am
I can see both sides of the story. Even after a full assessment of the parental problems and disciplinary issues, seven years is still incommensurate to the conduct. That is nearly one-tenth of her life expectancy. One would think that an offender would have exercise some very malevolent behavior to receive such a severe penalty.
November 7th, 2007 at 8:51 am
I dont see both sides of the story i would like more of an explaination here he gave a teen 7 years for a shove and another probation for ARSON now tell me which do you think is more crime like tell me which would rather save your community from tell me which one! im sorry you have a little girl going around setting fires even though it was her own she probably might have another crazy thought and do it to someone elses house i mean she just got probation let me go to texas as i am a black women and set something on fire they would probably give me life with not probation. I beleive the judge needs to step down leave the legal system alone. You see waht goes on in Bushes State now look at our country falling apart.
November 10th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
I recently became aware of this incident. It appears that some of you need someone to blame, so you have chosen the mother, rather that the legal system in Lamar County. We are all angry about the lack of parental involvement in the lives of their children. Yet, there are no mentions of previous juvenile detention or parental neglect on the part of the mother, just that she failed to cooperate. What does that mean? Did she support her child or go along with the script that the Judge now needs to save face. Judge Superville appears to want this to go away. He accepts no responsibility for his decision. His anger at the mother was projected onto the child whose life he appears willing to destroy. Seven years for pushing a hall monitor, likely a misdemeanor, whereas arson is a felony and results in probation. By the way arson/firesetting by a child indicates serious mental health problems and certainly some major problems within that home. How concern was he about the root of those problems. This judge cannot justify criminalizing adolescent misbehavior for one child thus sending her away for seven years. Howthe imbalance in sentencing and returning another to a home with untold dysfunctionality.
January 3rd, 2008 at 2:00 pm
This is clearly spin. The judge is clearly caught up in the web of his own. He cannot explain nor honestly justify his actions. It is obvious he has treated this child more harshly than the WHITE children who come through his court. A 14-year-old convicted arson (whose name was not released because of her age), was slapped with probation, and the case of a 19-year-old White man in Paris, convicted of killing a 54-year-old Black woman and her 3-year-old grandson with his truck. The latter, he said, was also sentenced to probation and told to send the family a Christmas card every year. Then you have Shaquanda’s case, She pushed a hall monitor, and she gets seven years confinement? If I look at all three of these sentences, and I’m not a lawyer, I have to wonder what the judicial system is doing. In this particular case, what is this judge doing?
Yes, parents have to be more responsible and training there kids properly. If the child felt threaten she should have told her mother and not push someone, IF that indeed happened. But even IF it was true, the sentence is WAY out of line for this so called crime. Paris, Texas has been and is a racist city, and it mirrors Jena, LA and other small white townships that are stuck in a time warp of pre-Civil rights era. In fact refusing to step in the light of justice and fairness in this country.