Jury’s Decision Angers Many
Dear Ann Landers: I am writing about the topless dancer who was convicted of using excessive force against a jerk who attempted to attack her. The jurors who found her guilty of aggravated assault must have been a bunch of airheads.
Please take note that after the defendant had the man down on the ground, he attempted to continue his assault. Obviously, she believed he was not going to stop unless she seriously disabled him. You may use my name if you decide to print my letter. - Bob Fontaine, captain (retired), Corpus Christi, Texas, Police Department
Dear Bob Fontaine: That column stirred up a firestorm of anger among my readers. They had plenty to say about the jury’s decision. Keep reading for more:
From Johnson City, N.Y.: A slap in the kisser does not fend off a rapist. It only enrages him and makes him more determined. The jury is punishing the woman for being a topless dancer, an occupation that is perfectly legal. It pays well, but it is not an easy way to make a living. The hours are late, the customers leer and hoot, and you breathe a ton of cigarette smoke every night. Then, the missionaries come in and try to “save your soul.” They convince the world you are a tramp, so when you go to church, you get a lot of dirty looks.
Miles City, Mont.: The law says aggravated assault must “create a substantial risk of death or cause serious permanent disfigurement or protracted loss or impairment of the function or process of any bodily member or organ.” That drunk suffered no permanent injury or disfigurement, so what’s his beef?
West Virginia: If this had happened in our town, the guy would have lost the family jewels to the girl’s dad and brothers. He wouldn’t be moaning about his jaw.
Seattle: I’m the ex-husband of an exotic dancer. That jury apparently thought it was OK to attack a woman if she was a performer in a topless bar. No woman deserves to be raped, whether she’s a streetwalker or a soprano in the church choir.
Minneapolis: What was a married man and the father of two young children doing in a topless bar? The guy certainly got a lot of lousy publicity. I feel sorry for his wife. That lawsuit is going to be a black mark on his family forever.
Chicago: The jury that decided against the exotic dancer took 20 minutes to convict her. There were eight men and four women on that jury. Those four women must have been in a big hurry to go home. They should be ashamed of themselves.
Fairmont, W.Va.: We tell our women to say no, defend themselves, do their best to get away - and then when they do, they are held responsible for the assailant’s injuries. I would like to know the collective IQ of that jury. They sound like a bunch of idiots.
Fort Worth, Texas: If that woman had been carrying a licensed gun, she could have blown that guy to hell with one shot and no jury would have convicted her.
North Augusta, S.C.: That topless dancer is no lady, or she would not be baring her body for those slime balls who sit there with their tongues hanging out. Any woman who puts herself in this position deserves whatever disrespect she gets.
Marina del Rey, Calif.: If that dancer had not had the strength to fight off her attacker, what might have happened? The guy needs to control himself and get some help if he’s attacking women in alleys.
Deerfield, Ill.: That was not excessive force. If she’d had a knife and castrated him, that would have been excessive.