Thousands sign petition calling for removal of judge who approved no-jail deal for alleged Baylor rapist

A petition drive is underway calling for the removal of a judge who prompted outrage earlier this week after he accepted a plea deal granting no jail time for a former Baylor University fraternity president accused of raping a teenage sophomore.

State District Judge Ralph Strother accepted a no contest plea from Jacob Anderson, who was accused of raping a woman and leaving her unconscious at a party in February 2015. Anderson was sentenced to three years of deferred probation.

{mosads}Anderson, who was indicted in 2016 on a sexual assault charge, also will not have to register as a sex offender. He must pay a $400 fine and seek counseling under the arrangement.

More than 22,000 people have signed onto the petition, titled “Request the Resignation of Judge Ralph Strother,” as of Thursday afternoon. 

“A system created by wealthy white men protects wealthy white men,” the petition says.

“When judges on benches see themselves reflected in the face of a perpetrator and recuse him of all responsibility, they will not feel a modicum of remorse due to their privilege of race and class.”

The petition also takes aim at Assistant District Attorney Hilary LaBorde, who prosecuted the case.

“LaBorde’s belief that a conviction cannot be made ‘when there isn’t concrete proof of more than one victim’ creates an environment in which only repeat sex offenders are penalized and offers a ‘Try it out just once, no consequences!’ mentality,” the petition reads.

“LaBorde’s opinion that ‘our jurors engaged in a lot of victim blaming [in the last case I tried] and aren’t ready to blame rapists and not victims’ is not a reasonable basis on which to offer a get out of jail free card to a rapist,” it adds.

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the petition was created by a graduate of Baylor University.

Strother told KWKT that he’s been receiving threatening emails in response to the controversial plea deal, adding he has no intention of resigning before his mandatory retirement in 2020.