Judge ripped over remark on girl's rape to step down

BILLINGS, Mont. — A Montana judge who drew widespread condemnation for saying that a 14-year-old rape victim looked “older than her chronological age” said on Tuesday that he will retire at the end of the year.

District Judge Todd Baugh said his decision to step down after 30 years is unrelated to the public uproar over his actions in the case of Stacey Rambold. The former business teacher was convicted of raping a freshman at Billings Senior High School. 

The 72-year-old judge said his time on the bench has been rewarding. 

The rape victim's mother, Auliea Hanlon, said she is focused on a pending appeal of Rambold's sentence before the Montana Supreme Court. She said Baugh's fate is not a major concern, though she “felt a little bad” for the judge. 

“He had 30 years of service, and nobody's going to remember him but for this one incident,” Hanlon said. 

Hanlon's daughter killed herself in 2010 before Rambold went to trial. The deferred prosecution agreement included sex-offender treatment

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