"BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN IN BARS
A jury convicted Evans of sexual abuse, a class 5 felony, on July 2.
DPS fired Evans shortly after his criminal conviction and following an internal investigation, according to officials.
The judge sentencing Evans, Coconino County Superior Court Judge Jacqueline Hatch, said she hoped both the defendant and the victim would take lessons away from the case.
Bad things can happen in bars, Hatch told the victim, adding that other people might be more intoxicated than she was.
"If you wouldn't have been there that night, none of this would have happened to you," Hatch said.
Hatch told the victim and the defendant that no one would be happy with the sentence she gave, but that finding an appropriate sentence was her duty.
"I hope you look at what you've been through and try to take something positive out of it," Hatch said to the victim in court. "You learned a lesson about friendship and you learned a lesson about vulnerability."
Hatch said that the victim was not to blame in the case, but that all women must be vigilant against becoming victims.
"When you blame others, you give up your power to change," Hatch said that her mother used to say."
Entire statement.
Interesting method of getting the "whole story". I see where the judge is coming from, when you go out and get smashed, around other people who get smashed, things can happen. This wasn't a male judge condoning a rape, this was a female judge making a statement about bars.
