Politics & Government
Change.org Petition to Oust Judge Gathers 50,000 Signatures, Still Going
"As a victim of child molestation myself, reading… (this) has made me sick to my stomach."

Michael Howard of Palm Coast, Florida was floored by the decision of Orange County Superior Court Judge M. Marc Kelly to reduce a mandatory 25 years to life sentence for a child rapist, imposing just 10 years of prison time.
Howard wrote, “As a victim of molestation I know the type of trauma this little girl has dealt with and I know the impact this will have on her entire life now…This little innocent baby will forever remember that pain and powerlessness. She couldn’t fight back or do anything to stop this absolute vile excuse of a human.”
Howard wrote his comments after signing a petition on Change.org calling for Judge Kelly’s removal from the bench.
Find out what's happening in Los Alamitos-Seal Beachfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- OC Leaders Vow to Push Out Judge for ‘Unconscionable Ruling’ In Favor of Child Rapist
- Citizens Demand Removal of Judge Who Reduced Sentence for Child Rapist
- Judge’s Lenient Sentence for Toddler Rapist Illegal, Says District Attorney
- Judge Shaves 15-Years from Mandatory Sentence, Noting Rapist of 3-Year-Old Didn’t ‘Intend Harm’
“This sickens me to the point of being ashamed that this is a man in our court system,” wrote Savannah Walker of Versailles, Kentucky.
Debra Large of Bardstow, Illinois added, “This is inexcusable. The crime was violent and Rojano-Nieto needs to serve life in prison. The judge should be disbarred.”
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Howard, Walker and Large are just three names of more than 54,000 that have been added to the petition in three days. And the momentum is growing as signers share the petition with friends.
A local Facebook page also calling for Judge Kelly’s removal now has more than 13,000 likes.
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