2015/11/05
A New Mexico judge is in the news for the second time.
Just three months ago Judge Christina Argyres was criticized for letting a first-degree murder suspect, Selmonio Davis, roam free on the streets of Albuquerque without paying a single cent as bond.
The pre-trial services had originally suggested a $250,000 cash-only bond.
Arguably, in sharp contrast to her lenient stance for Davis, just days ago she put a 20 year old on five year probation for a burglary which he committed as a teenager, one lapse and he would be behind bars for 15 years.
This is despite the young man admitting that he had fell prey to peer pressure at the time and what he did was “dumb”.
However, her sentence is not the reason why she is making headlines.
It is, in fact, how she described in graphic detail what would happen to Isaiah Gay if he ended up in prison.
In a trial were no cameras were allowed, the official court transcript reveals that Judge Argyres did not mince words when she told the first time offender standing in front of her that prison inmates would the harsh with him.
“You would probably be raped every day, number one,” she said to Gay.
“You would be beat up every other day.”
The judge then proceeded to tell him that if she sentenced him to prison he would be someone’s bitch, so in an act of mercy she put him on five year probation instead.
“He’s going to be somebody’s – I hate to use the word bitch, but that’s exactly what he’s going to be, and I don’t want to destroy Mr. Gay’s life.”
The man, startled by Argyres’ is explicit description of the prison world agreed to stay out of trouble.
Once again, the public is left wondering by the judge’s decision and remarks.
In the case of Davis, bail bondsman John Madrid had said that he had never seen of first-degree murder suspect walk away in such a straightforward manner.
Now, observers are criticizing the comments she made in Gay’s trial.
Many argue that this has opened a new can of worms; it means the authorities are willingly turning a blind eye to prison rape, while being obviously aware of it.