Discussion on Lawhorn's Lawrence: Three decades of defending and judging those in Lawrence's justice system / LJWorld.com

On Lawhorn's Lawrence: Three decades of defending and judging those in Lawrence's justice system

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TheSychophant 2 months, 1 week ago

A judge intoxicated by the "element of control" is a very dangerous person.

Randy did a great job working with those who needed it. He was one judge that didn't abuse the authority of the position. He nurtured those in need and absolutely treated the insolent better than they deserved. He is one of the few who did it right. I'd have to say that if you didn't like him, YOU were the one with the problem. This comes from a person who has witnessed him in action several times and doesn't have a soft spot for judges...to put it mildly.

consumer1 2 months ago

I hope the LJW doesn't delete me for agreeing with you. Judge McGrath gave his absolute best every day he was on the bench. Usually the LJW deletes my post when they see it.

purplesage 2 months, 1 week ago

So is a humorless cop who thinks getting tapped with a plastic hammer by some idiot in a Bam-Bam costume is "assault on a police officer" - which I would imagine was the charge.

Alceste 2 months, 1 week ago

TheSychophant opines:

"A judge intoxicated by the "element of control" is a very dangerous person."

A very keen observation and clearly the person this article is about was "intoxicated" by same.

Even more disturbing, however, is his asserted belief: "“From what I have seen, crime is something that is generally inbred,” McGrath wrote in the book.

Going even further this guy dares to suggest sterilization?

Alceste wonders when we're finally going to realize that poverty is genetically based; has nothing to do with environmental factors; just as, too, wealth is genetically based and has nothing to do with the bulk of it being passed on from one generation to the next within specific families.

This article is amazing in that the guy is supposed to be somebody to look up to. spit

Ron Holzwarth 2 months, 1 week ago

Alceste seems to know nothing of estate taxes.

TheSychophant 2 months, 1 week ago

"who wouldn't enjoy the control of being "Top Dog" at work?"

If you are enamoured by control, then me thinks you have some serious personality and emotional issues to deal with. .

LocalYocal 2 months, 1 week ago

So, I guess you like having no control? And that somehow makes you a better person? I'm just not following your argument on how enjoying control is a negative quality, or even further, being honest about enjoying it. You are just arguing for the sake of arguing, and YOU are "enamoured by controversy, and me thinks YOU have some serious personality and emotional issues to deal with...."

TheSychophant 2 months, 1 week ago

I enjoy having control over my own life. Controlling other people? Now that's a different issue. .

I am not arguing for the sake of argument.. As a college graduate with a major in psychology, I can assure you that enjoying control over others is not only a "undesirable" trait, but is also among the symptoms of several personality disorders recognized by the American Psychological Association.

BTW, the folks at Bert Nash might be able to help you.

LocalYocal 2 months, 1 week ago

*half empty

awdvkd 2 months, 1 week ago

Judge McGrath is a fine judge and a better human being. He is stating the obvious, over the years he has realized what most in the judicial system already know children have learned a lot of their beliefs at a very young age. Those beliefs are learned by the environment they live in and the people they are brought up around. It is sad, generation after generation you see the same families showing up in front of a judge displaying the same behaviors as the prior generation. Its sad and can't be ignored. I have been lucky to know Judge McGrath as a judge, and a friend for years you cant find a finer or fairer person around. He is entitled to his opinions, it just now he can say them ouloud!

markoo 2 months, 1 week ago

No one argues the point that the environment of criminal behavior is a bad one for any child to be brought up in here. What's deplorable is his conclusion as to how it is to be dealt with - sterilization. Rather than discuss what we can do to help those in the more poverty-stricken places in our society, he proposes just to wipe out their abilities to have children. Honestly that's so incredibly asinine that it really doesn't need further commentary.

But what's more, he more or less implies that drunken, disorderly, often times violent behavior by college brats in our town is seemingly okay in comparison. The further implication, of course, is a difference amongst classes of individuals since the majority of college students come from middle to upper class families. Again, this is a horrible comparison and implication for him to make.

A crime is a crime regardless of who makes it. A judge doesn't have the luxury to make judgements on the person's background who makes the crime, at least one would hope that isn't the case. The fact that this judge does this in his retirement only compels one to believe it severely influenced his judgement on the bench. And quite honestly that's pathetic.

Oh, and his power-hungry attitude doesn't help matters much either.

cowboy 2 months, 1 week ago

McGrath was always fair and kept the drama to minimum. The new judge is a complete , well you know.

Alceste 2 months, 1 week ago

Yes, awdvkd....and these "....children (who) have learned a lot of their beliefs at a very young age....." have been reared in atrocious environmental conditions which have no business even existing in Lawrence, Kansas. Simply put, they're products of their environment and we, as a community, are, in the final analysis, responsible. However, we're in Kansas.....and in hard times, Kansans prefer to blame the impoverished. Let's blame the victim.

Yes, criminal acts must be dealt with.....but the quesiton how and in what manner? "Voluntary sterilization"?? Same solution was suggested for "inter generational public assistance recipients" back in the 1970's.

Many diseases are genetically based. Might our society also offer "voluntary sterilization" for money so that we might rid the gene pool of these horrible drains on our Public Welfare and Medical Economies? Or, is taking and leaving them on Mount Taygetus a better solution? Alceste prefers the way the Spartans handled it.....Yeah....right.....let's build a master race. Alceste suggests there there was a good ole' boy in Germany that went off on that tangent a few years back. Alceste may be mistaken, however.

awdvkd 2 months, 1 week ago

Good kids come from poor families! Bad kids come from rich or middle class families also. I'm referring to criminal behaviors being passed on by family members. One opinion reference one topic doesnt make the judge a bad judge!

skinny 2 months, 1 week ago

Having gone up against Judge McGrath I can say he is a fair and honest man. He would in most cases always give the benefit of the doubt to the defendant. Good article! I am headed to Amazon.com to order McGraths book!

jhawk1998 2 months, 1 week ago

A fair judge. A good person. Perhaps some hard realities. I challenge you to read his book before commenting on his theories.

elliottaw 2 months, 1 week ago

hard realities.....no....the judge offers his closed minded opinions. Seem to be good he is no longer in a position of authority

markoo 2 months, 1 week ago

Can we not make judgements based upon what was already said here? Can we not believe that sterilization for those poverty-stricken, high-crime regions is about as ridiculous of a solution as there could be?

Ron Holzwarth 2 months, 1 week ago

Not sterilization, affordable birth control. Or, we could raise your taxes to pay for the increased costs. Would you find that to be preferable?

markoo 2 months, 1 week ago

False dichotomy. But thanks for the silliness anyway. I didn't realize it was an "either, or" situation that you seemingly assert. So rather than actually address societal problems as a whole, we "voluntarily" allow them to stop giving birth.

Kind of a strange, Brave New World you and the judge seem to be wanting here.

And please don't put lipstick on a pig. The judge said "sterilization", not birth control. Call it as you choose - I will use the same language as the judge.

FarneyMac 2 months, 1 week ago

Stick to traffic tickets and MIP charges - sociology clearly isn't your forte, Rand.

been_there 2 months, 1 week ago

Having been the victim of theft and watching this judge let them off scott free, I won't be going to Amazon to buy his book. Hell, they admitted to the police they took the stuff, but hey they were just borrowing it. It is not borrowing if you don't ask first and don't return the stuff until the police come. Some stuff we never got back, that's not borrowing, it's stealing. I bet the thieves sure thought they were treated fairly, I sure wasn't.

elliottaw 2 months, 1 week ago

Seems to be best for Lawrence that they are no long associated with this man. Maybe this article is just poorly written or maybe this guy is actually that big of a tool, either way he admits to being power hungry, was time for him to go.

Deb Engstrom 2 months, 1 week ago

Sterilization is a bit extreme, but his point is well taken. I do agree that it is a societal problem, but nonetheless a problem. In a community as small as Lawrence, when you hear a name, you automatically assume. Not fair, but reality. Bad kids do come from rich or middle class homes, but there are usually the financial and other resources available to stop the cycle.

elliottaw 2 months, 1 week ago

Lay off the Fox News because facts are not in your favor here. Doesn't matter how many times you tell the lie it is still not true. Has it ever occurred to you that the poorest neighborhoods also have the poorest schools, hard to pull your self up by the boot straps if you are starting your life in a dark deep whole because society doesn't want to give you a chance.

vuduchyld 2 months, 1 week ago

The number of welfare recipients in some states is MORE than the number of workers? Can you tell me which states or tell me where that data comes from? Frankly, I don't believe it.

Ljames 2 months, 1 week ago

he was my husbands court appointed attorney at the time my husband shot our neighbor at 827 walnut (neighbor from hell had been evicted and police had been there 40 times in about 2 wks) after my husband and i talked to him i asked every one i knew for a long term loan to get my husband an attorney that knew something cause clearly this one didn't. So within 48 hours we hired stephen rhudy very good criminal attorney. he may of made a good judge for tickets but i wouldnt want him for anything serious.

sterilization come on now i know many that werent raised well that turned out to be great adults. who knows he may not of been here if that was the case.

Ron Holzwarth 2 months, 1 week ago

The judge wanted me to tuck in my shirt? Well, OK, but with my gut, it's first necessary to unbuckle my belt, unsnap my jeans, unzip my jeans, pull them down, and then I can tuck in my shirt. Then put everything back in order, and my shirt will stay tucked in until I've sat down and stood up a couple times.

Yes, your Honor. I am on a serious diet and trying to get over it, but it's difficult. Some people wear loose fitting clothes for a very good reason.

LadyJ 2 months, 1 week ago

This article is kind of scary.

patkindle 2 months, 1 week ago

the problem is the scary artilce won't scare the losers it should be directed at, they dont care

elliottaw 2 months ago

it should scare everyone in the city on lawrence, this man's job was protect all the people good and bad and he clearly states that he only enforced the rules that he felt like.

happyrearviewmirror 2 months ago

Nothing is more anathema to liberal education than an authoritarian mindset. Southern justice and college towns don't go well together. When the KU HR and General Counsel are obviously so eager to press false charges before even according workers adequate internal due process, that doesn't say much for either the quality of education at KU or the criminal injustice system in Douglas County. Dishonesty and crooked justice leave a long-term bad taste.

KU7679 2 months ago

Darwin is rolling over in his grave.

JHawk1970 2 months ago

I've had the good fortune of knowing Randy for the past 10 years. I've found him to be intelligent, thoughtful and considerate. My guess is that most of the haters here are people who were on the opposite side of his decision. Face it, you either leave a courtroom happy and relieved or pissed and resentful. And generally fairness is in the eye of the beholder. And personally I prefer a judge who is and has things under control vs. one who doesn't.

Irenaku 2 months ago

Never been on the opposite of his decisions, or ever met the man. Inbred? WTF? Sterilization? Seriously? What a monster. Frightening to think that this neo-Nazi was allowed to judge the fate, literally, of so many people when he holds to this kind of thinking.

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