If the Judicial system needs a posterchild for misconduct, that's certainly it!

There was outrage when a Vermont judge handed out a 60-day jail sentence to a man who raped a little girl many, many times over a four-year span starting when she was seven.

But Judge Edward Cashman said he no longer believes in punishment and is more concerned about rehabilitation.

Prosecutors argued that confessed child-rapist Mark Hulett, 34, of Williston deserved at least eight years behind bars for repeatedly raping a littler girl countless times starting when she was seven.

"The one message I want to get through is that anger doesn't solve anything. It just corrodes your soul," said Judge Edward Cashman

"Punishment is a valid purpose," Chittenden Deputy Prosecutor Nicole Andreson argued to Judge Edward Cashman.

"The state recognizes that the court may not agree or subscribe to that method of sentencing but the state does. The state thinks that it is a very important factor for the court to consider," Andreson added.

But Judge Cashman explained that he is more concerned that Hulett receive sex offender treatment as rehabilitation. But under Department of Corrections classification, Hulett is considered a low-risk for re-offense so he does not qualify for in-prison treatment.So the judge sentenced him to just 60 days in prison and then Hulett must complete sex treatment when he gets out or face a possible life sentence.

Judge Cashman also also revealed that he once handed down stiff sentences when he first got on the bench 25 years ago, but he no longer believes in punishment.

"I discovered it accomplishes nothing of value;it doesn't make anything better;it costs us a lot of money; we create a lot of expectation, and we feed on anger,"Cashman explained to the people in the court.

From FOXnews & Bill O'Reilly:

If Vermont had Jessica's Law, we wouldn't need to worry about Hulett committing the crime again. He'd be gone for at least 25 years.

Let me put it this way. In Florida and some other states, if you rape a child, you're in prison for much of your life. In Vermont if you rape a child and appear before Cashman, you get less jail time than Martha Stewart. How about that?

The only responsible newspaper in Vermont seems to be The Burlington Free Press, which has not only called for Cashman's removal, but has also reported his bizarre behavior on the bench in the past.

According to the paper, Cashman once told a 20-year-old rape victim she had experienced "one of the harsh realities of life." The woman broke down in tears in the courtroom. And Cashman later apologized.

Gov. Jim Douglas said Thursday that Judge Edward Cashman should resign from the bench if he no longer believes punishment is a worthwhile part of criminal sentences.

"He needs to consider what he said and reflect on that and if that is truly his belief, I think that would be the appropriate decision," Douglas said at his weekly news conference.

The calls are mounting for Cashman to resign. I firmly believe that he should step down immediately. Furthermore, if he does not, there should be action taken by the state or government to have the guy removed from the bench.

60 days for this type of crime, appalling!