Dumler pleads: Supe gets 30 days for sexual battery
-
Three months after his arrest on a felony forcible sodomy charge, Albemarle County Supe Christopher Dumler has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge.hawes spencer, albemarle county police department
Albemarle County Supervisor Christopher Dumler pleaded guilty to misdemeanor sexual battery in Albemarle County General District Court on Thursday morning January 31. He will serve 30 days behind bars.
"I'm very proud of the victim," said Fluvanna County Commonwealth's Attorney Jeff Haislip, who was appointed special prosecutor in the case. "We could not have done this without her courage and the others that came forward."
Dressed in a red sweater and dark suit, the 27-year-old Dumler, a self-employed attorney who was elected to the county Board of Supervisors representing the Scottsville district in 2011, appeared calm and smiled with his attorneys before entering the plea.
Dumler, originally charged with felony sexual assault and forcible sodomy stemming from an October 4 incident, did not take questions following the hearing, but his attorney, Andrew Sneathern, says the plea also calls for Dumler to undergo a full psychosexual evaluation and to issue an apology to his victim.
In recent weeks, a second victim came forward alleging Dumler had raped and sodomized her multiple times in the fall of 2006, when he was in his first year at UVA Law School. Sneathern declined to comment on whether that woman's allegations played a role in Dumler's decision to plead, although he affirms that the plea includes an agreement that no additional charges against Dumler will be brought. All but 60 days of the 12 month sentence was suspended, and, Sneathern says, Virginia law requires Dumler to serve only 30 days.
Dumler will report to Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail on March 8 and will serve his time on weekends, pending jail approval.
A call to Dumler was not immediately returned at posting time.
97 comments
Does this mean Dumler will have to register as a sex offender?
it says 12 months 10 suspended on the court site...wouldn't that be 60 days?
If the defendant had been minority, lived in poor section of town, and lacked "important friends," I wonder how many years he would have served for the felony. (I know. I know. It was reduced to misdemeanor -- 30 days, served on weekends -- that's how the game is played.) Dragas. Now Dumler. In the name of justice when powerful people pull the strings.
"Sexual battery" merely means a sex toy was part of the crime.
Get well, Ron Jeremy!
@uvalawalum: All but 60 days was suspended, but he is required to serve only half that time. I've updated the story with that information.--Courteney Stuart
Courteney, thanks for the update!
BTW, sexual battery does not require registration w/the Sex Offender website unless it it the third conviction or is "aggravated sexual battery" (which is a different animal altogether).
R.I.P.: Linda Lovelace
Will he resign from the Board of Supervisors now?
If he were a Republican instead of a Democrat, it would have been indicated several times in the article.
For better or worse, sodomy (consensual or otherwise) is a felony in Virginia. When Dumler first said the sodomy was "consensual", I thought perhaps his admission could be pursued for a felony charge. Apparently, now a "sex toy" has been cited as the instrument of the sodomy...so, it's not REALLY sodomy?
Anyway, he gets 30 days in the pokey (yes, pun intended) - only 15 two-day or 10 three-day weekends for sexual battery, along with two years suspended and time on some shrink's couch for psychosexual evaluation. It hardly seems enough. I sincerely hope the other complainant from his days at UVA presses charges.
But the point is -- misdemeanor or otherwise -- I don't want a sex offender serving on the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors. I hope he has the decency and good sense to resign, but I wouldn't put it past him to fight to stay. It's up to the remaining supes, his constituents in Scottsville, and all Albemarle County citizens to force his dismissal.
@ realist: The good part is that as a Democrat, this will be a resume builder for Dumler. One thing is for sure, he won't resign. Perhaps he'll blame the "vast right wing conspiracy".
Oops - I read the article again and it stated that the plea includes that no additional charges will be brought.
It sounds to me like Dumler's getting off VERY lightly.
His history at UVA is further justification for more coeds getting concealed handgun permits and firearms being permitted on campus. It would make predators like Dumler think twice before committing their crimes.
Resign? He won't do and the dems will not ask for him to. They want the 3-3 tie more than they want a convicted sex offender to no longer represent them. Well he only be a one term Sup so there is that.
Chris has agreed to Mea Culpa…Can’t wait to hear that!
Just heard his statement on the radio. Says he is looking forward to getting back to work for the people of Scottsville who elected him. Will not resign. Rather Clintonesque, that.
This is nothing. Wait until the Army/Jag has their day with him.
Regarding all who question how Chris gets to stay on the BOS:
The court can’t ‘remove’ him, per sea, from the board. That’s up to us. As for Chris taking this plea so he could, ‘continue serving the people of blabbidty bla bla (that’s not at all a poke at SVille, it’s make nonsense of what Chris said), it’s crap. He took the plea so that there would be no open testimony which, in turn, the Army could us against him. Who, by the way, is gonna dishonorably discharge him.
I wonder if we will be getting a statement from S.A.R.A. (Sexual Assualt Resorce Agency) for which he bartended to raise funds? How about other women's rights organizations in the area?
We're waiting to hear from you.
As I told you all it would, it ended up being pled down to misdemeanor sexual battery and preserves his right to practice law. If he doesn't resign from the BOS, he sure won't get re-elected. What an egg-sucking dog and pathetic little weasel.
Dulmer is looking forward to getting back to work and won't resign? if I recall, he also said in November that he would "fight the charge in court with a vigorous defense" (NBC 29, Nov 27, 2012). That didn't quite happen did it?.........nor will you retaining your seat.
Next up.......Cynthia Neff, come on down to meet the judge!
It's just smart legal tactics to say you're going to fight the charges; it makes the eventual deal more palatable to the CA, makes it more win-win for everyone but the victim who feels deflated.
I wonder how many people here would sacrifice a law degree and career to fight a charge like this if given the choice to plead to a misdemeanor.
Not defending the guy but it seems to me what we have here is someone who thinks its okay to get a girl plastered and do things to her she wouldn't allow sober. Not a guy that hides behind trees waiting for joggers. Unless we knew all the facts and dirty details we are not really in a place to judge. I am sure with time the details will emerge.
I know a lot of people will attack my point of view but I don't care. There are lots of couples who get mutually drunk and cross lines. A lot of them upload them to youporn.
I wonder if she had gotten him drunk and sodomised him while he was wasted if they would have prosecuted her or asked him if he learned anything about exxcessive drinking.
Clinton/Dumler 2016
Ok I've looked at three different news reports - the Hook, WCAV, Daily Progress on this now - not one of them mentions that Dumler is a DEMOCRAT - yes, he's a frekn DEMOCRAT - He is the DEMOCRAT Albemarle Supervisor representing Scottsville. Just in case you missed he's a DEMOCRAT. If he were a Republican you can bet your behind that that fact would have been front and center in every report.
@AT, there has been a lot of coverage of this case, and several articles have indentified the perp as a dem. maybe his party affiliation is old news? certainly there are unmentionable sleazos in every political party, and whether dumler is a repub a dem a teabagger a libertarian a commie or a moonie, which can change at any time, he is now and forever a convicted sleazebag. off to jail with him -- if the scottsvillians don't run him our of office, they are no better than the DCers who keep reelecting that crackhead marion berry. one final thought about why when repubs get "caught" the press is surer to point out their party -- the gop seems more prone to preaching at us about things like sex and drugs and whatnot, so when one of them gets caught dipping his wick into the hot wax or reaching from under the stall wall, the irony and hypocrisy factor makes for a juicier story and sells more papers and draws more advertisers, and papers are a business, after all, so you gotta forgive them trying to make their money like any other good american. dumler doesn't have that soapbox history -- he just has his pathetic uselessness.
Right on, Independent!
And there's no way he'll win reelection. The last election was relatively close...this will be the tipping point (as I'm sure you agree).
But really, there's no way the party - not even the often-idiotic, cville dems - will run him; or support him, should he insist on running.
@JR, agree, he seems to be as contagious as that fraudster who claimed to own snap fitness center in the last city council dem primary. let's hope there's a decent grownup to run in scottsville.
The C'ville Dems knew about his history of sexual assault before the last election and chose to do nothing. Hopefully this will force them to change their ways.
wait, since when is scottsville in c'ville? aren't the county dems in charge of county candidates? why tar the city with the county's woes? never heard that the city repubs (and there are some) have any control over county gop candidates.
"In recent weeks, a second victim came forward alleging Dumler had raped and sodomized her multiple times in the fall of 2006, when he was in his first year at UVA Law School."
Was it released it this woman reported this attack to the UVA police or Deans Office - or did she go to the local police? If the answer is yes....then why wasn't he dealt with properly in 2006?
The Albemarle County Democratic Party should be ashamed of themselves for not pressuring this convicted sex offender to quit his position on the Board of Supervisors immediately! This man has already abused three women...which makes him a serial sex offender. Waiting years until his term of office is up is just a dishonor of the people who elected him. Furthermore, there is no "recall vote" in Virginia, meaning that he cannot be recalled. He would be removed if he admitted to a felony, but he did not, so he stays in office on a technicality. Only large numbers of outraged women showing up at the next BOS meeting will get any attention from our party leaders. Shame on you Chairman Valerie L’Herrou!
Shame on you Vice Chairman Cynthia Neff, you who bailed out this self-avowed and convicted sex offender.
Shame on you Secretary Diana Mead!
You are women who should standing up for women in our community, not protecting this sex offender. You are clearly out of integrity on this one, and you all should resign and let someone else run the party in Albemarle. I am sickened by this.
Duane Snow will now have to exercise restraint in not kicking his ass on a weekly basis for another year or so
So, Bill Marshall, how much did you donate to Dumler's campaign?
No matter... Nice to see someone from the "blame the victim" faction here to represent!
This guy seems like a complete narcissist who is a danger to society. No remorse, no guilt, and clearly no conscience. It may not happen here on our watch, but wherever he relocates in the future will have a predator on their hands. And any woman who knowingly goes out with this man is a lunatic, but, there are plenty of deathrow inmates who find wives while in the Pen so I'm sure Dumler will date again. Sex crimes need to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and this deal seems like a slap on the wrist.
I'm quite disappointed in Dennis Rooker who seems to have become an apologist for Dumler. From the DP:
"Rooker said Dumler's age would make recovering from the conviction easier.
"The capacity to forgive someone who has made a mistake like this is probably greater for a younger person than it is for someone in their 50s or 60s," he said. "The fact that he is a young man, and has a lot of years ahead of him, provides some greater latitude for people to say to themselves, 'This is a youthful mistake,' and he certainly has plenty of time left in his life to give back to the public and redeem himself."
A "youthful mistake" to violate 3 different women? I guess this is part of the "boys will be boys" mentality that I thought had died back when Rooker's haircut was still in style.
It's time for Dennis Rooker to "wig" out and retire. One wonders why Rooker didn't pull the "rug" out from under Dumler's support. But perhaps he views Dumler as Rooker's "hair apparent".
Maybe Rooker had not seen that smug smile Dumler had as he walked to court to get his deal and "get back to work for the people of Scottsville", which will now include picking up roadside trash in an orange jumpsuits on weekends.
Does anyone know who the woman accompanying him in all these courthouse pictures is?
dear I plubis, I didn't donate to dumlers campaign and I am not apologisng for him either but I am not as sanctimonoius as a lot people in this town and I am unafraind of the insults hurled for saying things that really should be said in the conversation. We don't know the facts (which I stated) but what we can surmise from the statements is that these complaints were made days later in one case and years later in the case of the "multiple " times accusation. We appear to be dealing with a guy who has no problem taking advantage of drunk (or very stupid) women who take a minimum of days to figure out why their butt hurts. I make no bones about the death penalty for stalking knife to your throat rapists, but when two people get drunk women want the law to read that they get to decide after the fact whether all those nasty games they played was rape or not. I think thats wrong and there needs to be clear and distinct lines drawn to make sure that stupid people are not put in jail for doing stupid things. I wish we did know the details of the cases and I will be glad when someobody squeals so that I can pass judgment one way or another on this man. Right now if i played devils advocate from what has leaked it appears we have a guy who had sex with one girl a couple of weeks after having sex with another girl and the first girl found out and convinced the second girl to file charges to get even for him using both of them. If thats what happend then the use of the courts for this is wrong. As far as being sodomized with a sex toy they sell them on the downtown mall and according to youporn that is one of the intended uses. As for the three year old multiple time complaint, it seems to me that if she went out with him a second and at least third time and he kept knocking on the back door than the last two are on her. I am quite sure that most men would agree that if they got drunk and a girl gave them a prostatre exam on the first date they wouldn't go back for seconds. (and if they did they wouldn't complain three years later).
Maybe the guy is a total pig and is one tequilla sunrise away from giving rufees, maybe he is just a guy that likes sex and knows first hand as 99% of men do that women lose their inhibitions when drunk and the overwhelming majority of them are okay with the way the system works. These women get plausible deniablity for doing the wild thing and still get to do the wild thing.
I know this might set off a firestorm, and if this guy really did do bad stuff I hope that comes out too. But there are a lot of public prudes in this town and the statisics of who does what in the bedroom don't match the public outcry. Some amongst us are lying.
Maybe some of you should do a litlte research on porn sites and see what the college kids are voluntarily doing these days... and in front of a camera no less. At least then you might have a better perspective to judge.
So lets see how many wussy men stand up for the ladies and attack me as being a chauvainst mysoginist pig. (as they sneak at look at porn while wife mommy is out shopping) and lets see if there are any men willing to admit that while I am cold I am not that far out there.
Bill, you might try doing a little research yourself. Specifically, what constitutes "consent." As you yourself already said -- we don't know all the facts. But one all-important fact we DO know. Dumler copped a plea. And innocent people don't cop pleas -- Especially those who adamantly profess their innocence.
It is very difficult to prove the felony charges Dumler was facing. The commonwealth had some pretty good evidence if he chose to plead down and take a conviction.
We need to start a petition to get this unfit BOS out of office. It's up to us. Sad day for Albemarle County. We need 700+ from signatures from our Scottsville District to oust this SOB. GET THE SOB OFF OF THE BOS
I'm glad Supervisor Dumler chose to cop to this plea rather than force the community through a drawn-out trial. It seems clear the charges had no merit but would take time to resolve.
This misdemeanor (same as a traffic ticket) plea allows him to continue representing Scottsville while allowing everyone involved to save face. It's a win, win.
I look forward to voting for his reelection in two years.
Dumler is a lawyer. He is keenly aware of how much money it would cost for a defense, and, probably realized that he would get the same verdict as the plea. I don’t think the prosecution would have offered this plea if it was a slam dunk on the felony charge. It obviously wasn’t, and he took the plea probably to avoid spending a boatload of money to arrive at the same place he is now.
And, unless he has three convictions for sexual battery he is not required to register as a sex offender.
'Today' said:
"...and, probably realized that he would get the same verdict as the plea."
Dumler is a lawyer, but you're obviously not. I suppose you meant get the same "sentence" because verdicts are guilty or not guilty. He pled guilty to a sex crime, so he certainly could have gotten the same verdict. It was impossible for him to get the same sentence, however, because he wasn't charged with the crime he pled guilty to.
It would be nice to see IP addresses here. I wonder how many of these pro-Dumler posts are Dumler himself. Either that, or some of his leftwingnut Scottsville fans are thrilled to have a sex offending creep represent them. Most Democrats I know aren't nearly so shallow. But there's always the lunatic fringe, I guess.
"innocent people don't cop pleas -- Especially those who adamantly profess their innocence."
Absolutely not true. I've plead guilty to a misdemeanor to avoid trial for a felony charge I was absolutely not guilty of. I wasn't guilty of the misdemeanor either. It happens all the time and I know several people who have done similar.
Reasons? Cost of a lawyer, facing a jury of the same sort of people who frequently post here which is frightening if their decisions affect my future. getting things over with rather than dragging them out for another year. I'm sure other have their own reasons.
Not saying that Dumler didn't do what he is charged with, but innocent people do in fact plead guilty to lesser charges all the time. It happens every day in the local courts.
Todd, innocent people plea all the time because it is the better gamble. The question in this case seem to come down to consent, and like i said we live in a crazy world where we have given women the "right" do decide "consent" for years after the event took place. Do you think it would be okay to "decide" you were cheated on a cash purchase from a jeweler three years later and expect the city to jerk the guys license? Nobody knows what words were exchanged.
I am not defending the guy and I am most certainly not liberal. I also know that if a prosecuter had the chance to nail a high rpofile conviction and had overwhelming evidence then they probably would have rejected the plea request or not offered it.
The truth will come out. Those who condemn a guy for having sex while drunk should ask their parents how they met or how they were concieved.
Just another day in Charlottesville/UVA. Zero sexual assaults make it past the UVA Women's Center. Been that way for 20 years. Off Grounds, connections get you off (pun intended) real easy, and as long as you are a member of the "correct" party the local media will not even mention what party you belong to, suggest you resign, or even give any details of the crime. Bet on all his colleagues in local democrat politics backing him up. If he were a republican, the headline would have been "Local Republican in own War on Women......."
So now we have another Bill Clinton right here at home.. Dumler will get hit on like crazy next time he goes to Rapture. Everybody move along now..
I. Pubicus: Yes, I used the wrong word. It happens occasionally when I’m doing two things at once. Are you so perfect? Obviously you think you are. I don’t know the man, I don’t live in Scottsville, and I’m glad you can’t see my ip address. You sound like someone I would not want to know anything about me. You have to boil everything down in to democrats and republicans and everything is black and white – democrats are good, republicans are bad. Personally, I’ve seen plenty in both parties who are equally shallow. But people who can’t see anything but black and white tend to be obsessive. I'm not democrat or republican. I try to vote for the best person for the job.
Wow, Bill. Super classy comment.
First of all, you make the assumption that the victims were drunk. This is based on absolutely no facts as far as I can tell.
Second of all, what's with the sex toy stuff? Sexual battery does not necessarily have anything to do with sex toys.
Finally, why do you think someone would bother to come forward six (not three) years later and make allegations just for fun?
He said, she said is one thing. He said, she said, she said, and she said is a whole other thing.
Stop being a rape apologist. Since you admittedly have no idea what actually happened, crawl back in your hole and stay there.
Ex civillian I was just going by the published scuttlebut .. but even if he did use his penis his defense was consensual sex with a scorned woman who was put up to it by another scorned woman. The woman six years ago went back for seconds and thirds and still kept her mouth shut? Why?
You call me a rape apologist, but I am simply calling for personal responsbility. Maybe this guy did rape her and if so he is getting off easy, but if someone put something in my butt against my will I wouldn't have to "think" about it, I would call 911 as soon as it was over and I was in a safe place. I don't think that is too much to ask. If a girl is traumitized and needs counceling first then fine, but there needs to be dinstinctions made between lovers remorse and rape. Rape requires "intent" and if the guy intended to have consensual sex and the girl rolled with it without protest then there is nothing wrong with his assuming she is as freaky as him. If a girl is too "shy" or "afraid" to say no then she needs to not go to frat parties or do jello shooters till she can barely speak.
If the guy is a pig he is getting off too light, if the girls were trying to get even because they fell for his BS then shame on them. To the girl who didn;t speak up 6 years ago, shame on you because if you are right the odds are he didn't go six years before defiling someone else. (there are plenty of anonymous ways to get the word out)
As for being "classy" I don't particularly care about what you or anyone else thinks. The conversation needs to be had.. there is a difference between a rapist and a guy that is avle to con women into doing feaky stuff they may fell ashamed of later.
If these girls can testify that they said "no" and attempted to leave then they have a case, if they rolled with it and realized they were just being used then that is on them.
Remember Women are equal and don't need a man.
He learned how to commit rapes while a UVA student because that's a great place to get training. No one has ever been expelled, even when found guilty of committing sexual assault/rape by a UVA sexual assault board. One of his law school classmates was arrested for rape of a minor in Atlanta while representing UVA at a conference and VP Lampkin did nothing. She said "it didn't happen on grounds" and therefore was irrelevant.
And I'm not the least bit surprised at what I've read here. You people in Charlottesville only take note when a woman is killed by a rich punk kid. The rest of the women who leave your town broken by the trauma of rape are never ever given a second thought.
Ah, Bill Marshall, women are not equal under the law or constitution - yet. Though the ERA has new momentum.
Susan R, agreed. I find it appalling from many of the comments here their "interpretation" of consensual relations vs rape. Most appear to be men and they have no clue that a woman walking down the street is always on guard waiting for "their" rape because 1 in 6 women are in the United States but I dare say more than that number for those enrolled in colleges across the US.
Frankly, I would think a refund of these women's tuition (even if they completed their degree) would be in order considering these universities continue to do nothing.
As for this dude, there is a history there and I would caution voters to think very carefully before casting their ballots in his direction again.
I actually agree with everything Bill Marshall has said, which is a rarity (and possibly a sign of the apocalypse). Speaking as a rape victim, I think it was likely that the prosecution's case was possibly starting to unravel, or that the appearance of collusion between two of the women caused too much doubt as to motive in reporting the rape.
When people get really drunk and fall in the sack together, both partners tend to lose their inhibitions and potentially do stuff they wouldn't do while sober. When a person is really drunk, they can become uncharacteristically belligerent, or it can be much harder to communicate with them. Everyone who has ever been around a drunk person knows this. You get two drunk people in bed together and lines can be crossed, especially if one or both are into the rough stuff like dominance/power games.
I have no idea if that's what happened in this case, but I remember reading somewhere that alcohol was involved. I believe that no means no, but what if this happened to be one of those gray area cases?
Agree with Bill Marshall-- if he actually raped her, then he's a POS. But there's a chance that this particular case might have actually been about something else, and perhaps there was too much ambiguity about what happened for the prosecution to win the whole shooting match. It's a shame for everyone concerned.
Been There sounds like a rapist pretending to be a woman and rationalizing why this was just a matter of miscommunication and not a felony.
Ronoldcomfort above has it right. If it had been a minority male, the system would have crucified him and locked him up. Someone above quoted roomer saying: "The capacity to forgive someone who has made a mistake like this is probably greater for a younger person than it is for someone in their 50s or 60s," he said. "The fact that he is a young man, and has a lot of years ahead of him, provides some greater latitude for people to say to themselves, 'This is a youthful mistake,' and he certainly has plenty of time left in his life to give back to the public and redeem himself."
I hope the judges in this town remember this next time a Latino or an African American young person comes before them for some offense and instead of packing our jails with minority men, forgive them for youthful indiscretion, we could empty out the jails if we did that. Our criminal justice system is racist just like the uva and charlottesville culture is sexist. The good ole boy network (and the women who collaborate) protects white males from all kinds of crimes. Women in this town should be up in arms and protesting this outcome. The culture of this town is revealed through such cases. The culture of sexual assault at uva has been well documented for years in these pages. I would not send my daughter there for that reason. It's not safe and there is no justice for women there just carpet sweeping. Someone else above made a good point about the lack of ethics with party organizations, why is the dem party not getting this guy out? The parties are corrupted by the same racist, sexist culture in this town. We all just go along with this stuff. When will it end?
Sorry to blow your bubble. Check out this minority male - it is well documented that he raped 2 women and no one would touch him cuz his daddy is rich: www.uvavictimsofrape.com
Well someone posted using a name I often use, thus I am now Too. This is a lose lose situation for anyone in Scottsville. I did not vote for him the first time around and no doubt the Democrats will continue to vote for him so long as he says he is a Democrat. We will suffer the next two years with poor representation. It is sad he has hurt so many women.
Pam good synecdoche. But the stats on incarceration by race belie the point.
Fyi and related:
http://www.techyville.com/2013/02/social-media/dr-boyce-mass-incarcerati...
The other woman claimed rape and sodomy in 2006? What is it about rape and sodomy that Mr. Haislip does not get? What about the third woman?
The original charge could have been tried and a successful felony conviction had, given that at least three women were involved. No leverage existed to reduce the charge.
Psycho sexual is putting it mildly.
30 days on weekends? How about 30 days in the slammer without the VIP treatment?
At minimum in exchange for the misdemeanor Dumler should have been required to resign and not rerun for elected office for 10 or more years and never run for the BoS again.
Mr Haislip - this was a white wash and you need to tell us who is pulling your strings. Really. Praising the victim?
Mr. Dumler resign. Mr. Haislip resign.
Don't worry Ms. Mallek. You are not going to go without mention.
Ann Mallek of all people taking politics over violence against women. Mallek went so far as to create a fog surrounding the issue by saying, and the quotes are accurate, "I'm sorry for the entire set of circumstances". The circumstance (singular) was Dumler's forcible sodomy and the only "set of circumstances" is that three (at least) women were involved.
You had my respect Ms. Mallek over a long period of time. You lost it all on this one.
@Cvillian: There is in fact a mechanism for removal--read the daily progress article: the voters of his district could petition the court. Are they not the ones who should decide if they want this person to represent them or not? Certainly, they are the only ones with the power to do anything about it. If you are represented by this person, and you certainly sound like someone with a personal stake, then start a petition!
He just pled guilty on Thursday. I'm sure the party is discussing what its response will be. They probably have to get guidance from the state party, etc. Therefore, there's no call to go around shaming individuals when you don't know what the party's response will be. Also, curious as to why you call out the women of the party only? Do only women care about rape? Or do you believe women are responsible for men's behavior? If you need to blame others for Dumler's behavior, maybe you should blame the men of the party instead?
No one commenting here knows what happened in that room, and the speculation is useless.
What we do know is that a woman claimed she had been raped nearly two weeks after the fact once she found out Mr. Dumler had a girlfriend. We also know that Mr. Dumler is an Eagle Scout, lawyer, and Army reservist (via his website) who since his election has served on the Board with thought and care. He has been more visible and open about Board business than any other member. Also true is that fighting these charges would have cost an exorbitant amount of money, time, and embarrassment for both the accuser and defendant, as well as the citizens of Albemarle County. Many innocent people do choose to avoid the costs and uncertainty of a trial when offered a deal for a lesser charge. It seems clear to me that if Mr. Haislip and the accuser had the facts on their side, they would never have offered a deal with only 30 days of jail time when the original charge carries a five year mandatory minimum.
If Mr. Dumler really did rape her, he got off easy. But looking at these facts makes me seriously question that.
welcome to the small sad world of mr dumler.
mr dumler lives in moral twilight , an affliction which many
suffer from, however there is no need for our community to nuture,
or sustain or excuse it.
what part of susan brownmillers book "against our will " did he not understand ?
the only person mr.dumler is interested in serving is himself.
the culture at uva , and in our larger community,that shapeshifts , parses words
that turns away, needs to have the light shine on it as well .
mr. dumler is hiding,in plain sight ,
the sorrow and pity of it all.
@Think About the Facts - I believe Dumler returned his Eagle Scout achievement over the Boy Scout gay issue. The gay issue aside, once you return it, it is no longer a feather in the cap. You can't have it both ways. I'm not sure his reservist status and JAG standing will remain over this incident. I also do not think his SARA association can stand either. And no fewer than three women were accusing Dumler. The original charges could have been proven beyond reasonable doubt with three accusers IMO. Mr. Haislip deserves questioning.
Pam, that's pretty offensive. What part of my repeated use of the word "if" didn't you understand? Neither you nor I know what happened in that room, and what degree of force was or wasn't used. We don't know anything about how impaired or not these two people were that night. Unfortunately for all concerned, there was ambiguity surrounding THIS particular case: Alcohol. Girlfriend dumped, but waiting only until after then to report the incident. Another ex-girlfriend claiming multiple rapes, but staying with the defendant during that time, and only reporting much much later. Correspondence between the victims that had the appearance of possible collusion. All of that makes a "beyond a shadow of a doubt" determination much more difficult, correct?
The outcome of this case doesn't mean that rape doesn't happen, and doesn't mean that it shouldn't be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law when it happens. It also doesn't mean that the alleged UVA rape didn't happen. It doesn't mean that he's not a jerk, or a potential predator. Once again, this particular case was extremely problematic, and does not reflect on my views of rape as a crime in general.
Like a poster said above-- if he did it, he got off easy. Only he and the victim know for sure. My personal feeling is that there's a chance that this was one of those unfortunate and awful gray area cases. I may be wrong, but that's my assessment.
@R. T. Greenwood I find it interesting that you do not argue the substance of what I said. You merely state that he is no longer an Eagle Scout because he chose not to be affiliated with what is now obviously a discriminatory organization. The fact that he turned his badge in does not mean that he did not go through the program and meet the rigorous standards required to become and Eagle Scout. And again with the reservist issue, even if he is discharged from the army, it does not mean that he did not meet the standards required of the brave men and women who serve our country. But both of those things are not part of my main argument, and I find that the parts of my comment that you ignore are telling.
You do not dispute the fact that the evidence and facts in this case are suspicious and that Mr. Dumler has been an exemplary public servant in the short time he has been on the Board. If the other women who have come forward (some many years after the fact) had cases or evidence against Mr. Dumler it would not have been part of the bargain that those charges will not be pursued. It is common in cases like these that people come out of the woodwork with more accusations just to join the bandwagon. Like many have commented, if rape was happening repeatedly in 2006, why did the person not report it then? If Mr. Dumler raped his accuser on Oct 4, why did she wait until October 15 to report it? If it had been me, I would have reported it right away.
The blame-the-victim Dumler's fanboys are coming out in force now. Good luck getting out enough votes next time around to keep the sex offender in office.
Better yet...stick a fork in him. This pathetic little bully is done in politics.
@I.Publius
Let Dumler's fanboys come out. They're all as pathetic as he is. Just a bunch of wanna-be politicians who make up fake groups/organizations so they can all sit around and act like they're doing something important. I can rattle off all of their names right here (but of course I would never do that).
@Been There. If you claimed to be raped and you're not sure, then I suggest you stop calling it rape. There are way too many victims who know the difference and do not call it a gray area. Rape is not a gray area. Rape is a felony. And I am offended that you would even say you were raped. If you were, it would haunt you every minute of every day of every year. The trauma does not ever leave you.
The reason rapes are not prosecuted is because UVA/Police/Commonwealth Attorneys tell you that you are not sure what happened. Stop drinking the kool-aid and see a therapist to learn IT WAS NOT YOUR FAULT. Stop rationalizing someone else's bad behavior.
And I stand by my assertion that Been There is pretending to be someone....probably Dumler.....
there are many on this thread who know all too well
what the matter is about.
and they are to be commended for speaking out.
those who wish to parse words about how good a supervisor has been
are no more than apologists for the persons behavior .
the silence of any groups// non profits // organizations that claim to provide
help to women ; ....at this moment is beyond sad.
and just beyond that the ugliness of race and class is there to be uncovered.
the only person mr dumler wishes to serve is himself.
the enablers and apologists further his ends.
does our community want mr dumler to continue serving his term in office ?
if not it needs to make itself heard.
certainly beyond the comments on this story.
Pam, I never said that I wasn't sure about what happened to me. It was very clearcut and the evidence was irrefutable. In that, I was lucky, and the perpetrator was convicted. The trauma is there and always will be, but I've worked decades to make sure it doesn't define me. A number of my friends have been molested, assaulted and raped, including date rape. Most of them reported the crime, and some didn't. The last thing I am is a rape apologist.
It's obvious that I'm not Dumler, otherwise I wouldn't have said that there's a possibility that he's a jerk or a predator. I've never met Dumler. Frankly, I found his grinning as he exited the courthouse the other day to be extremely crass and insensitive.
Once again, I'm commenting that none of us knows what happened that night. If it happened exactly as the victim has stated-- and it very well might have-- it's extremely unfortunate that there were so many extenuating circumstances that cast doubt on her story. To me, this is what constitutes the "gray area." Calling it that doesn't mean that anyone is a liar. I didn't say that the act of rape itself is a gray area, only that some criminal cases contain gray areas. This can be true of any type of crime, not just rape.
What I find particularly amusing is that this case was brought at all. There are hundreds of alleged sexual assaults reported every year to the City and Albemarle and UVA police departments. But almost NONE are ever charged following investigation. Why? Because they lack probable cause, or the investigators know that they will never bear scrutiny under a "reasonable doubt" standard in a court of law - why waste resources on something that cannot be won, or (even worse) something that may not have happened at all?
I imagine Dumler's case - two weeks later, individual who he knew personally, blah blah, everything we know from the filings and news stories - was similar. But his case was actually charged. Why? If I had to guess, I'd say it was because the Commonwealth's Attorney and Police were terrified of being accused of cronyism if they DIDN'T charge him and prosecute him fully. Would you want an alleged victim going to the media, accusing the police of not charging a sexual assault because the alleged rapist was the boss of the Police Chief? Or was the swing vote that gave extra money to the Commonwealth's Attorney's office every year to supplement their state salaries?
So, if he is a rapist, yeah, I agree - he got off easy. But if he isn't - and there seems to be plenty of evidence to suggest he's not, and indeed, a LOT of evidence to suggest he would have won if he had the resources to go to trial - then this was a travesty of justice in the other direction, with public officials throwing Dumler under the bus as quickly as they could while the cameras watched in the hopes they wouldn't be accused of treating him "differently," and that no one would notice all of the hundreds of sexual assaults they don't pursue every year ...
Has there been a SINGLE sexual assault and/or rape involving a UVA perp that has made it to a courtroom and past the UVA Police/UVA Womens Center/UVA Public Relations filter in the last 25 years? I don't think that there has, in spite of being Hugh Hefner's favorite university and party school.
22,000 students. 2,000 faculty. 25 years.
Yes - one UVA case made it to Court in 2004 (both were UVA students) because the woman charged him in a civil suit and used her own money to make it happen. However, he only had to pay $150,000 in damages. I believe there was another case where a woman was raped in a bathroom at a Frat around the time of the Seccuro case (can't remember all the details) and not sure if one or both were UVA students. Another coed had a man who her groped her put in jail because she was dating someone in the Commonwealth Attorney's Office and he (perp) was not a UVA student (she blogs about it as rape but she was groped - big difference).
Has the rapist from the Sept 2012 campus rape been caught? Are they even looking for him?
I find it fascinating that no one has stopped to consider that a plea agreement may have been reached at the victim's request. Often victims choose to avoid going through the additional trauma of a trial if the accused will plead guilty to a lesser charge. This has two major benefits for the victim. 1) She is assured that the accused will be convicted of something and will serve some time (the results of a jury trial are never certain,) and 2) her name will not be dragged through the mud (since defense attorneys often attack the victim's character and credibility.) It is entirely possible that the plea was negotiated by Mr. Haislip at the victim's request. I am sickened by the numbers of posters here who are questioning the victim's credibility. Women often delay reporting sexual assaults because they are afraid. There is not a man among you who can understand the intense vulnerability and fear a female rape victim feels. Women are not as physically strong as men are and we are always, always aware of that fact - especially those of us who have been raped. I am not surprised at all that the victims in this case delayed in reporting the crime. Mr. Dumler needs to resign his position on the board of supervisors and serve his time. Hopefully he will continue to live in the area so that all of the women he comes into contact with will know about his past, and will be on their guard.
@Erin, Well said and sensitively put. But iss no one even a little bit outraged that the women of the Albemarle County Democratic Party are protecting this convicted sexual abuser? Cynthia Neff, the Vice Chair bailed him out with a $50,000 guarantee for his bail. The Chairman and the Secretary are both great liberal women and yet not one of these leaders has publicly admonished Dumler nor asked for his resignation! His girlfriend tried to bail him out at his first hearing but couldn't raise the money. She's an employee of Payne Ross advertising whose owner is Susan Payne, wife of L F Payne, former Congressman (D), and Mrs. Payne and her company was one of the largest contributors to Dumler's campaign ($2,350). As a Democratic activist, contributor, and fundraiser for Democratic candidates, why didn't she denounce him upon his conviction? The Scottsville Magisterial District Chair and the Dumler's local Precinct Chair are both women, and all we hear is silence. How can women in Charlottesville/Albemarle feel protected against sexual battery or assault if their own women political leaders are protecting the abuser?
I hope Dumler doesn't resign. He is a fine example of what the Democratic Party has become. Voters, even the low information ones, need him as a constant reminder.
Cvillian,
Maybe just maybe they are privvy to way more info than others...
Maybe they think he settled for the misdemeanor because he could not afford the downside if he lost. Remember he conceded to consensual sex, so it would really be a gamble in the jury box, especially if people like you and Erin and which ever idiot made the claim that 1-6 women in this country are raped are called up...
Some people around here believe there is no such thing as a false allegation and would convict a eunich.
Maybe it was assault, maybe it was rape, maybe it was retributution for him two timing...
I am sure the truth will makes its way to the surface soon enough.
Cvillian, you are mistaken in assuming I cannot be impartial. I simply pointed out that the reduction of charges may have been at the request of/or with the consent of the victim. I pointed out there are logical reasons for women to delay filing charges after a sexual assault, and that waiting to file charges is not uncommon. NONE of us will ever know what evidence was available, but we do know that the accused pled guilty. That was a choice that he made. A consequence of that choice should be that he either resigns or is removed from his position as an elected official. That is just common sense. Not judgment.
Actually, Erin, since - as you admit - NONE of us will ever know what evidence was available, I think it IS a judgment to say that he should resign or be removed (which, by the way, there is no provision for - take it up with the General Assembly) from his position as an elected official. Just as there are "logical reasons for women to delay filing charges after a sexual assault," there happen to also be logical reasons for innocent people who are perfectly fit to hold public office to accept a plea deal. If he pled guilty because he didn't have resources to clear his name, or because in his opinion the costs of clearing his name outweighed the benefits (as studies indicate up to 25% of defendants who take plea deals do every year, literally tens upon tens of thousands of alleged criminals), or, hell, if, as a criminal defense attorney, he knew sometimes the system gets things wrong and convicts innocent people and would rather take a slap on the wrist than face conviction under a felony charge with a five year mandatory minimum, then it's ridiculous to suggest he resign. Get a grip.
It is my understanding that when a CA prosecutes a rapist, the victim is a witness for the prosecution. Therefore, Erin's comments are more of a TV media concept than reality. The rape victim can refuse to testify, but does not engage in a plea deal.
Hi And Another Thing. He made the choice to plead guilty. A logical, reasoned consequence of that choice is forfeiting the right to serve in elected office. That is not being judgmental. In the eyes of the law, he is now guilty of sexual battery. No questioning that. I am interested that you are defending him so vigorously, though. Are you a friend? A colleague? Politically sympathetic? What is it that makes you so terribly concerned that people not consider him guilty - when he pled guilty? Has someone in your experience been wrongfully convicted? I am interested to know where you are coming from - and I am not being snide - I am being sincere.
So today Dumler released a statement that said he had been going through some challenging times, personally and professionally. Very self-centered narcissistic statements. No mention of his victim(s). No mention of the stress he has been putting the party (Democratic) through, and the folks who gave him political contributions (famed author John Grisham gave him $5,000!), the people who voted for him, and the constituents he serves. He's so egotistical that he actually believes that he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge FOR his constituents (so he could get back to serving them). No mention of how he has embarrassed the other five supervisors on the board. No mention of how he has let his girlfriend down, his parents in Georgia, the Boy Scouts and the U S Army and the JAG School associates locally. It was all about him. I'm still calling for the party to oust him. Let him serve as an independent.
Hi Pam! Actually (personal experience) it really depends on the prosecuting attorney. I am sure there are some prosecuting attorneys who treat the victim as nothing more than a witness for the prosecution. I know there are some who take the victim's wishes into consideration, and will tailor their approach accordingly. I also know of a murder case in which charges were reduced and the perpetrator pled guilty so that the victim's family could be assured of a conviction. So it is entirely possible that the charges were reduced at the request/or with the consent of the victim as I said.
Cvillian, maybe the trying times he was referring to was being set up by two women who wanted revenge and an ex from half a dozen years ago that took three tries to figure out she didn't like alternative positions. Maybe to him he is the victim.
I don't know the facts but you don't either. Unfortunately for him (perhaps) since he took the plea and is on probation for ten years he can't tell his side.
@Erin: So when young women in Charlottesville are ready to testify and WANT to take the stand to prosecute the perp, why does Lunsford & Co refuse to prosecute campus rapists? What about the wishes of the victims then? If they could use an old never investigated case (without forensics) to push Dumler into the guilty corner, what about the current cases where the women are clearly traumatized and want/deserve justice?
Hi Pam! Obviously if there are women in Cville ready to testify and who WANT to take the stand, they should have their day in court. If that is not happening, then people who know about it (like you, apparently) need to do something about it. Make it known. If you feel the CA needs to perform his job differently, or be replaced, work to make it happen. Obviously, as a rape victim, I am all for justice for rapists. Is SARA aware that this is happening? If so, they might be your best allies in effecting change.
Erin ....this is old news, but the situation occurs weekly.....where have you been? A few of us have continued to be disgusted that no progress has been made. Maybe the next wave of women are ready to continue the fight to protect female students. SARA, UVA Women's Ctr --- all they do is .....NOTHING. They don't want to buck the system for fear of losing funds. The CAs don't force the cops to do their jobs, either. Reading that Dumler raped when he was a UVA student just brought it all back for those of us who tried to change the system and get the cops to do their jobs.
http://readthehook.com/102337/unsilenced-how-mother-fought-protect-h...
And especially this:
http://readthehook.com/95992/cover-how-uva-turns-its-back-rape
Yeah the stories are old, but is anything different other than the calendar date?
Hey Pam, I attended VCU in the early '80's. There were multiple rapes on campus, and the cases were handled by the Richmond City Police - not campus police. There was a great deal of media coverage (much of it instigated by student activists) but the focus was on making the campus a safer environment; the rapes were being prosecuted correctly. You are absolutely correct, there is no justification for allowing the foxes to guard the hen house. This is shameful. Absolutely allegations of rape or any physical assault that meets the standards of a felony, should be investigated by the city police and not campus security. I frankly do not even understand why the review board exists. That is absurd.
Democrat Ann Mallek and independent Dennis Rooker just voted to support Dumler and refused to ask him to resign. All three republican supes did the opposite. Democrats Deeds and Toscano remain silent, as do most (all?) of the self proclaimed "womens groups" in Charlottesville.
As we see once again, these big shots saying they support and defend women are just full of it. It's a gimmick only bought into by the ignorant. It never was and never will be about defending women - or their well being. It's just a charade that attracts the votes of those who have been dumbed down by the rhetoric, and there are plenty of those votes to be had in Charlottesville and Albemarle alike.
Someone started a petition for SCOTTSVILLE DISTRICT registered voters to ask Dumler to resign. If this applies to you, sign. If not, pass on to someone who lives there.
https://www.change.org/petitions/remove-scottsville-district-representat...
seannie,
I thought it was about defending the populace... My understanding is that women are equal and don't want special treatment... or does "leave my vagina alone" only apply to abortion?
The women made complaints and the prosecution took place and a conviction was won.
For better or worse the law worked.
We will be able to do a true test on how well the rape laws work when a girl comes screamng from a room and calls 911 on the spot and says "that man there just raped me" and then goes for the the rape kit and proves it. If they try and sweep THAT under the rug then things will change..
I know many villify me for it but if a girl goes to a frat house in a mini skirt and thong and does 20 jello shooters and makes a stupid decision because she is severely impaired of her own accord she is the one who placed herself in the lions den and unless a guy who was noticieably less impaired then her foreces himself on her or assaults her while she is passed out it is not rape. Just because you make stupid decisions when you are drunk does not alliveiate you of the liability if those decisions by BOTH parties. So you can charge them both with sexual assault and call it a draw or you can try and convince young girls to not binge drink, but as long as you advocate for destroying the life of any guy who has sex with a drunk girl even years after the fact then you will get resistance.
If you stopped the excessive drinking on campus you would probably stop 90% of the assaults or sexual partner remorse. Start arresting people for public drunkeness and you will kill two birds with one stone.
Bill...Don't understand you r comment and you know how I feel.
So, to add to your comment ..... If the cops did what they were supposed to do - and guys knew they would be arrested for committing rape - it wouldn't matter to anyone what girls wore or what they drank. A felony is a felony and the line is never blurred in a woman's mind - it is only blurred in the minds of those who rationalize why we as a society do not prosecute the felony crime of rape.
And when a man learns he can get away with rape, he does it again. And sometimes each assault becomes a little more violent. Dumler says he has a problem -- I assure you he had that same problem with the first assault he committed years ago at UVA and only now will be getting help because one woman had the emotional fortitude to stop him. Why wasn't he stopped and given mental health help after the first assault? Because she wore a miniskirt? It wrong to rationalize away rape -- you owe it to the next victim to stop a predator as soon as he is reported.
The only reason Dumler was arrested now is due to his public affiliation with the Democratic Party. The CA who brought charges has had the opportunity many times to take on rape cases and prosecute, but turns every case away. This one is politically motivated.
Bumler is about to learn a long hard lesson in sexual battery and forcible sodomy at the hands of Bubba in the complex! He might like it enough he decides to stay there too!