BALTIMORE County Circuit Judge Robert Cahill's lenient sentence and sympathetic remarks for a man who killed his wife could become a legislative issue. Here are excerpts from a draft resolution made public last week, which women legislators plan to introduce in the General Assembly when it convenes in January.
" . . . WHEREAS, The uprightness of judges is essential to the impartial administration of justice, requiring that they act in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary; and
"WHEREAS, We take pride that our state has been a leader in providing equality of rights to all of its citizens regardless of race, creed or sex; and
"WHEREAS, We have long discarded those ancient and intolerable laws, customs and practices that allowed a husband to use force and violence against a wife for indiscretions, real or suspected; and
"WHEREAS, We should not return to those dark ages of gross indecencies against women . . . ;and
"WHEREAS, We have been made aware of a rising epidemic of domestic violence and abuse against women, taken too lightly by too many in our criminal and judicial system, where the victim has been judged rather than the offender; and ...
"WHEREAS, We find it improper and injudicious for a judge to express his personal beliefs in a criminal case and give support to an offender, thereby being offensive to the life of the victim: for that is unacceptable behavior and is a violation of the impartiality of the judiciary that we have every right to expect; and
"WHEREAS, The Maryland Code of Judicial Conduct specifies that a judge shall act without bias or prejudice, and that in the performance of judicial duties, a judge shall not manifest bias or prejudice by words or conduct in matters based on race, or sex, or other characteristics or persons in court proceedings; now, therefore, be it
"RESOLVED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, That we blame, condemn and denounce Baltimore County Circuit Court Judge Robert E. Cahill Sr. for his lenience in the manslaughter sentencing of a husband for killing his wife, while expressing sympathy for the criminal and suggesting that many men might also inflict corporal punishment on their wives under similar circumstances. . . ."