Maybe it would be different if her daughter was a teen or younger, but the alleged victim is now over the age of majority and, theoretically, capable of speaking for herself. But mothers will always be mothers.
“We’ve been living with this for four years,” the mother said. “It’s been constant delays. All I’m asking for is fairness for this, please,” she told Superior Court Judge Joseph Rea.
More than a dozen supporters of the victim were also in the courtroom. The defendant, John Angeline, 44, had apparently been told he did not need to attend the hearing.
The defendant was a former South Plainfield, New Jersey, school teacher accused of sexual assault. It’s the sort of crime that gives rise to outrage, and this court appearance was no exception. But when the unnamed mother expressed her frustration, it wasn’t because the judge asked. Continue reading