Total Outrage!!Judge William Adams Beats Daughter

[SHH 1313]

Aransas County Court-At-Law Judge William Adams took a belt to his own teenage daughter as punishment for using the internet to acquire music and games that were unavailable for legal purchase at the time. She has had ataxic cerebral palsy from birth that led her to a passion for technology
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http://img.ibtimes.com/www/articles/...liam-adams.htm

Why is this Judge not in jail?

[Samuel]

I'm sure there is a LOT more to the situation... and "ataxic cerebral palsy" doesn't mean jack squat to me - if you're able to pirate music/games via the internet and set up a hidden camera, you're also capable of many other things...

[SHH 1313]

As I understand it this video is 16 years old and just released. Does the statute of limitations apply in the state of Texas? Isn't this considered child abuse? It sure does in my book. If indeed she is disabled wouldn't this be violence against a disabled child?

Ataxic cerebral palsy is caused by damage to the cerebellum, which is in the base of the brain. The cerebellum is the control center for balance and coordination and coordinates the actions for different groups of muscles. Ataxic cerebral palsy therefore affects coordination of movement. Ataxic cerebral palsy usually affects all four limbs and the trunk. In addition, ataxic cerebral palsy is characterized by poor or low muscle tone, also known as hypotonic.

Ataxic cerebral palsy can affect an individual in several ways. A person with ataxic cerebral palsy will usually have a wide-based gait, or walk. Because of their poor sense of balance they tend to walk with their feet unusually far apart. In appearance, a person with ataxic cerebral palsy will look very unsteady and shaky. This is due to low muscle tone where the body is constantly trying to counter-balance itself.

The most significant characteristic of ataxic cerebral palsy is tremor, especially when attempting quick or precise movements, such as writing or buttoning a shirt. Also known as intention tremor, this symptom of ataxic cerebral palsy worsens when attempting a voluntary movement. For example, when reaching for an object, such as a book, the hand and arm will begin to shake. As the hand gets closer to the object the trembling gets more severe, increasing the completion time necessary for the task.

Ataxic Cerebral Palsy

[Samuel]

Unless I'm reading wrong, the article says the video was filmed in 2004 and authorities are still trying to confirm the autheticity. I'm not condoning the apparent "belting" but as I said before, I'm sure there is a LOT more going on. Also, watching the girl in the video move around, she doesn't fit into what I would consider "disabled". I wonder why this is only coming to light now, during re-election time? Seems as though "family services" should/would/could have been notified a LONG time ago...

[retdetsgt]

To reach child abuse, there has to be physical injury. Bruises constitute that, but juries are reluctant to convict unless the bruising is relative severe.

[JoetheGI]

/shrug

Here's what happened to another teen who apparently did the same thing:

Teen convicted of illegal Net downloads - Technology & science - Tech and gadgets - msnbc.com

Which is worse? A lawsuit, or being belted?

The use of pain can be an effective tool to shape behaviors, however, it can also have detrimental effects. Most organisms will go well out of their way to avoid pain, and to avoid behaviors that facilitate pain.

IMO, our society needs more parents willing to inflict painful consequences for poor behaviors, not less, and while I may not necessarily agree with the method or the circumstances in this vid, I understand, and can not condemn.

[SHH 1313]

When I was growing up it was common practice when you did wrong to get beat like that, and yes I was beaten and beat on an on going basis, also there were times when it was deserved, but between my dads divorce, mistress and 5 businesses and a new baby on the way, I was beaten out of his frustration and stress. Once I was unable to go to school for a week because of bruising.

I know from my experience there were welt's and bruising that is no brainier I believe her parents dressed her so it would not be seen. We all know the daughter was utterly afraid to speak to any one because of more escalating retaliation. Not to mention her father was a family judge and a pillar of society.

I give her kudos for filming this. No doubt about it there was a love/hate and utter despair that she has had to deal with for many years which must have seemed like an eternity. I hope and pray that there were some good times too, This is an exceptional young woman in my eyes. She waited until she was of age to bring this to the media so I believe she had finially had enough and truly wanted her father to get help, plus she needed to have some justice done for her sanity and deserves it!

[jayt]

Whoa what a psycho.

IMO, our society needs more parents willing to inflict painful consequences for poor behaviors, not less, and while I may not necessarily agree with the method or the circumstances in this vid, I understand, and can not condemn.

You understand that and can't condemn it? Damn, you tough. My stepdad used to whip me. But he didn't whack me all over my legs, he didn't lash out, he didn't swear at me, he didn't alternate between yelling at me and whispering threats in my ear, I'm pretty sure he wasn't trying to 'beat me into submission'...oh and when spanking didn't work he didn't try to beat me harder or whoop me more times...He didn't terrify me I guess...

I agree with you on the rest. I don't think there's much wrong with spanking (apart from- it didn't really do much for me, but that's just me). But there wasn't any spanking in that video, just a psycho flippin out with a belt...or two belts as it ended up wasn't it?

[retdetsgt]

I was beat too. Punishing without hitting is just as, if not more effective, but requires some ingenuity. Beating kids only shows them that the bigger you are, the more right you are. I raised two daughters and was responsible for the harder (pre and teen years) of a couple of stepsons. I was able to do it without hitting them and they turned out to be fine, responsible adults. They don't hit their kids either. A lot of the time, beating is more for the benefit of the parents' temper tantrum.

Besides, if you have to resort to hitting a 16 year old, you're a pissy poor parent. You've either won or lost the respect of your kid by the time they're about 8 or 9 years old. If they don't respect you by then, at 16 they sure won't. At 16 or even 17, I could tell any of my kids that they were grounded and I would get minimal protest and no lip because they respected me. And they didn't respect me because they were physically afraid of me either.

BTW, the last time my mother tried to beat me was when I was about 14. She came at me with a broom handle. I took it away, broke it over my knee and told her this wasn't going to happen anymore. I was already 6' and she was about 5'4. She didn't have a clue what to do then. I told her she could ground me, but she wasn't going to hit me anymore. I expected some heat from my Dad, but none came. I think she was too embarrassed to tell him, or maybe he agreed with me. She grounded me and that was the punishment from then on. I kind of felt sorry for her because hitting was about all she knew to do. I had to sort of teach her how to be a parent, I guess.

On another note, does anyone think it's a little bizarre that he recorded it???? I think he has some other issues too.

[MikeG]

On another note, does anyone think it's a little bizarre that he recorded it???? I think he has some other issues too.

He recorded it?? Missed that part. I thought the girl had it recorded.

The only reason I can see recording it for the parent would be as a defense that it was excessive. Doesn't appear to be a very good defense.

I agree that if by 16, the parents need to punish that way, it's a problem. I think parents should have a lot of latitude though in getting their children to physically comply with their demands. Using force to keep a kid in their room after being grounded should have a very high threshold. Injury or no, if the punishment is grounding, the method to enforce compliance may require force.

Kids understand force and punishment at a very young age. At some point reason and respect kicks in. There are lots of things to be done to a 16 year old that are far more effective as they understand reason more than force and fear more than just physical punishment. At 14, my mom wasn't strong enough to even hurt me physically so what would be the point of spanking? Out of control 16 year old? Take the door off their bedroom. Start removing privacy and alone time. Buy their clothes and remove the ones they like. Telephones, cars, computers - limit/remove/monitor. After school activities. Friends. etc. Either they take and respect it and start complying or they will leave. At 16, it's too late to teach respect - heck, I'd even say some kids simply can't respect regardless of their parent - just crappy kids. It's the reason why we sometimes try them as adults for crimes - because their learning/molding curve as children already ended.

[pafindr]

Apparently the video was made in 2004.

"Hillary, who was 16 at the time, said she secretly videotaped the beating in her bedroom because she "knew something was about to happen." She says her parents were angry at her for using her computer to download pirated content over the Internet."
Dad caught on video beating daughter 'needs help' - Yahoo! News

My question is if she had done this type of thing before why did she still have a computer in her room? The computer should have been out in the living area where the parents could have monitored her behavior.
I agree that she should have been disciplined but a beating to this degree just because he "didn't get his licks in", as he said in the video, should not have happened.

Kids know exactly when they are doing wrong and they know, or should know, that there will be consequences for doing wrong.
I was dating someone some years ago that had a child. Her daughter was 3 at the time and for her we gave "timeouts". One day we had the power company come in to tell us where we were using the most power and while talking with them the little girl threw one of her toys because she couldn't get it work. Everyone turned and looked at her and she realized what she did. She looked at me and her mother and said "I going to go to timeout now" she walked herself to the corner and stood there for a few minutes. She looked at me and asked me if she could get out of timeout. I asked her if she calmed down enough and if she thought about what she did, her response was "I better stay here a little longer". After a few more minutes I told her to come talk to me and we discussed what happened and what to do when she has another issue with one of her toys.
Now, I understand that timeouts don't work on all kids. Some kids need different kinds of discipline, and yes sometimes that involves a spanking but not a beating.

[jayt]

I missed that one from my list, my stepdad wasn't still whipping me when I was 16. If he tried I would have spanked him in his face. (I know I haven't been a parent yet but I would guess that a key sign of failing is if you say to your kid "I'll spank you in your face")

Take the door off their bedroom.

Yeah that sucks. My parents did that when I was 15 because I kept jamming the door and smoking in there. When I complained my stepdad told me there were trees in the yard if I wanted to carve a new one. That sounded like a lot of work but it sort of kicked my brain into action. So I took the shower curtain, it didn't have individual clips, it had a string of steel rings, and I padlocked it above my door frame.

But I think my parents won because
A) it took me quite a while to find parts and figure out how to secure it properly and I didn't stop once for a cigarette break
B) my parents didn't react at all...they never mentioned a word (well not until about 2 1/2 years later)...lol. I thought I was startin' something
C) I got tired of having a freakin shower curtain door real quick

[MikeG]

I was beat too. Punishing without hitting is just as, if not more effective, but requires some ingenuity. Beating kids only shows them that the bigger you are, the more right you are. I raised two daughters and was responsible for the harder (pre and teen years) of a couple of stepsons. I was able to do it without hitting them and they turned out to be fine, responsible adults. They don't hit their kids either. A lot of the time, beating is more for the benefit of the parents' temper tantrum.

And I just recalled a defining moment for me. I was never beaten but when I was 15-16 I was feeling a little manly I guess and was being a bit mouthy to my mom. She then told dad. I apparently was a little too mouthy or feeling a little big for my britches. My dad is 5' 6" and weighed about 200 lbs. Worked construction all his life and played guard for semi-pro team for a bit but that was at least 18 years before that incident. My dad's normal MO if he was angry with us would be the yelling inches from our face (usually we would be cowering a bit). He had a way to turn his face beet red and have spittle coming out of his mouth so it was kind of terrifying as a kid. If he hit us, he always slapped usually in the face. Never punched or used belt/paddle, etc, but he had the quickest hands (my brothers apparently inherited that part as they could duck faster than me). I was 5'11" at the time and about 165lbs and did sports. Dad got in my face with beet red and spittle thing about being mouthy and I didn't back down. He then asked me "Do you think you're ready?" and with only one hand around my throat, he lifted me completely off the ground and pinned me against the wall, I think I realized at that point the answer was "no, not ready. my bad. I'm going to go in my room for a while." I can't answer why that particular incident stands out so much but it may be that as I was acting as man-child he gave me a choice for the first time as a man. I think that meant my slapping days were over.

I learned from an uncle many years later that Dad was pretty prolific fighter (like assault and battery - no temper control fighter, not boxer up until about 25) and had been kicked out of college for getting in fights. At the time my fighting experience was a 30 second circling match from the 8th grade. I would have lost badly if I'd tried.

I also think his temper is why he never closed his hand or used belt or paddle. It's one of those "I'm not afraid of spanking my child, I'm afraid I won't stop after I start."

[SHH 1313]

It's one of those "I'm not afraid of spanking my child, I'm afraid I won't stop after I start." MikeG

IMO that is exactly what he did, he lost control never mind the fact he was an administrator of family law.

11/03/2011 07:18 PM by Ben Lloyd - blloyd@kristv.com

ROCKPORT - The District Attorney overseeing Aransas County-San Patricio County has decided he will not pursue criminal charges against Aransas County Court-at-Law Judge William Adams.
Judge Adams has admitted to beating his daughter in a video she secretly recorded in 2004 and uploaded to the internet last week.
In a release from the Rockport Police Department, DA Patrick Flanigan is quoted as saying, " I have received and reviewed the submitted evidence regarding William Adams and the video incident that was reported to RPD on November 1, 2011. I have also referenced the applicable statutes from the Penal Code and Code of Criminal Procedure. It is clear that no criminal misdemeanor information nor any criminal felony indictment may be presented for any criminal charge that may be depicted on the subject video. Limitations prevents prosecution of any applicable criminal charge shown on said video."
Lieutenant Larry Sinclair says the Rockport Police Department will be in contact with federal authorities to see if any charges may be filed in a federal court.

Judge Videotaped Beating Daughter | Corpus Christi, TX | KRISTV.com |



If I had been caught on film doing this to my child the only thing that would have beat me to the jail would have been the flashing lights on the patrol car!!!

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR,

[retdetsgt]

I also think his temper is why he never closed his hand or used belt or paddle. It's one of those "I'm not afraid of spanking my child, I'm afraid I won't stop after I start."

And that's the problem with a lot of people. My Dad was much like yours, he never hit me, but I would have never challenged what he said to me either. BUT, although I was mouthy too now and then, I knew where the line was. Generally it was when he looked at my over the top of his glasses I knew it was time to shut my mouth.

The same thing, more or less worked with my kids when they were teenagers. When I stopped and just stared at them, I could literally see them wither and walk away. But again, they respected me and didn't want me to be mad at them. I didn't have to hit them to let them know I was displeased.

One of my grandsons was a PITA when he was about 4 or so. He would come over, wouldn't mind, tore through the house, etc. What I did was sit on the sofa and made him sit beside me. Every time he tried to get up, I told him no and pulled him back beside me. I told him that when he promised to settle down and mind me, he could get up. It took a battle of wills for about 15 minutes (10 years in 4 year old time), but he finally got the message. From then on, "Do you want to sit with Granddad?" was all it took for him to settle down.

That took more time and energy on my part than just hitting him, but it worked just fine. After he'd been good for a while, I rewarded him with a Popsicle. It can be done.