September 29: Ruined: Language Use And Choice By Judges At Sentencing In Rape And Sexual Assault Cases

Judges play a critical role in one of the most important states of a criminal case’s adjudication—sentencing. While there have been substantial limitations placed on the discretion judges can exercise in devising punishments, there are little to none on what judges say at such hearings when articulating their rationales for the sentences they impose on convicted defendants. In her lecture, Professor Romero will examine the language judges use when sentencing defendants convicted rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse that describes victims of those crimes and the harms they have sustained, especially language that describes victims as “ruined,” “broken,” or “destroyed.” Professor Romero argues that the use of such language, while apparently meant to be empathetic, only serves to uphold misogynistic understandings of rape and sexual assault and actively harms victims. Judges trying to justify harsh sentences for defendants convicted of sex crimes also engage in shaming and exploitation of victims when saying that defendants have left victims “ruined” at sentencing.

Title:
Ruined: Language Use And Choice By Judges At Sentencing In Rape And Sexual Assault Cases
When/Where:
Thursday, September 29, 2022 - 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Moot Court Room
Cleveland-Marshall College of Law
Cleveland State University
1801 Euclid Ave
Cleveland, Ohio 44115

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Speaker:
Maybell Romero, Felder-Fayard Associate Professor of Law at the Tulane University School of Law Credit:
1 hour pending
By:
Cleveland-Marshall College of Law / Cleveland State University

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