Letter to the Editor: It’s insulting to Christians that Adrian used name of God to shield himself from accountability

I would like to address misconceptions Adams County Circuit Judge Robert Adrian allows our community to believe in order to save his own pelt.

First, in the state of Illinois, any person younger than 17 years of age is under no circumstances ever allowed to consent to sexual activity. In some states, there is a “close in age” provision. That provision does not exist in Illinois.

Cameron Vaughan, who was 16 at the time of her sexual assault, would not have been able to consent to sex, per the legal definition, as opposed to what Drew Clinton, the 18-year-old convicted of the assault, said.

Second, the state has no burden of proof concerning a victim’s age. Age is considered a fact. In a bench trial, the judge is the fact finder. If the judge knows the victim was below the “age of consent” at the time of an alleged assault, it is the judge’s job to apply that fact. The state has no burden to prove the alleged assailant was or was not aware of the victim’s age.

It’s despicable that a representative of the judiciary would say that we should pity them because they got called out for perpetuating an injustice. It’s insulting to Christians that Adrian used the name of God to shield himself from accountability. It’s insulting to the judiciary that he led our community to believe lies. And it’s certainly insulting to survivors of assault to throw us under the bus for the sake of making sure rapists don’t face the consequences of their own actions.

Making mistakes isn’t what breaks a person’s integrity. It’s being so determined to deny any wrongdoing at the expense of others.

Thank you to every person who has stood up to agree that our communities deserve impartial judges who tell the truth and follow the law instead of abusing the authority they’ve been granted. Peace cannot be attained through silence. It requires dedication and persistent, constant effort to cultivate and maintain.

We can use our voices and actions to fight for stronger, safer, kinder and more honest communities for all of us. Only that love is going to turn the tide of apathy and exploitation washing over this world.

Allison Huber
Quincy, Illinois