Judge In Larry Nassar Case Weighs In On Illinois Judge’s Reversal Of Guilty Verdict In Teen Sexual Assault Trial

Sixteen-year-old Cameron Vaughn claims 18-year-old Drew Clinton sexually assaulted her following a high school graduation party they both attended in May 2021. Clinton vehemently denies the allegation and claims Cameron consented to intimate relations. Cameron adamantly denies there was consent. After initially convicting Clinton on one count of felony sexual assault in a bench trial, Judge Robert Adrian reversed the guilty verdict during Clinton’s sentencing hearing, asserting that the prosecution had failed to prove their case. According to court transcripts, Adrian further noted that the 148 days Clinton spent in county jail awaiting sentencing was “plenty of punishment” for the teen who had no prior criminal history. Had Judge Adrian not reversed the conviction, Clinton would have faced a minimum of four years in prison under Illinois sentencing guidelines. Since reversing Clinton’s guilty verdict, Judge Adrian has been removed from adjudicating criminal cases and reassigned to civil cases. He has also been on the receiving end of public criticism for his decision in Drew Clinton’s trial. Ingham County Michigan Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, notable for presiding over the 2018 USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal trial, where she sentenced Larry Nassar to up to 175 years in prison, gave her opinion on the case. “The judge took it upon himself to nullify it all – to be the prosecutor, to be the judge, to be the jury – and to be the appellate body,” says Judge Aquilina in the video above. Watch Wednesday’s Dr. Phil, “Judge Reverses Sexual Assault Conviction: Teen Victim Speaks Out,” to hear more on Judge Aquilina’s opinion on the case. Check your local listing for airtimes. This episode contains sexual content. Viewer discretion advised. Judge Rosemarie Aquilina is a judge of the 30th circuit court in Ingham County, Michigan, an adjunct professor at Western Michigan University Cooley Law School, and an author. Her latest novel, “All Rise,” is currently available from Amazon and Audible. WATCH: Dad Says Daughter’s Emotional Health Was Set Back After Judge Reversed Guilty Verdict Of Her Alleged Attacker TELL DR. PHIL YOUR STORY: Are you involved in a story making headlines?