After outrage sparked across the nation following the sentencing of 54-year old Montana teacher Stacey Rambold to just 30 days in prison for raping his then 14-year old student, who committed suicide while the case was pending, District Judge G. Todd Baugh appears to be trying to appease his critics and has scheduled a resentencing hearing for Friday.
According to CNN, Baugh stated that the mandatory minimum sentence for Rambold is two years, making his initial 30 day sentence illegal. In an order released this week, Baugh wrote, "In this court's opinion, imposing a sentence which suspends more than the mandatory minimum would be an illegal sentence.” He added that the court would amend the overly lenient sentence at the hearing today if deemed “necessary and appropriate.”
Both prosecutors and defense alike however, say that only the Montana Supreme Court can fix any mistakes made at the sentencing trial since the state has already appealed the case, The Associated Press reports. State attorneys even submitted a petition to block the Friday resentencing, claiming it would cause “a gross injustice to an orderly appeal,” and violate court procedures.