Updated Nov 19, 2009 - 7:30 pm
Judge in prostitution case won't go to jail
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KIRO Radio
A former judge convicted of patronizing a prostitute and threatening a witness will not be serving jail time, but instead will serve 240 hours of community service and attend "John School."
As he did at trial, former Judge Michael Hecht denied his guilt on Thursday. He told the sentencing judge he has been punished enough, losing his $148,000 a year job and seeing his reputation damaged.
"I am a broken man who is living a horrible, horrible lie. I don't know how to say it another way than I want to scream. I want to go into the forest and scream," said Hecht in court Thursday.
Hecht detailed a series of medical issues and pleaded with the judge to send him home with his family. "Please, please, I'm begging you to allow me to go home with my family, with what little dignity I have left."
The visiting judge chastised Hecht for a "ridiculous story of conspiracy." He told Hecht he deserves everything he's gotten. But he agreed Hecht has suffered punishment and the judge suspended a 30-day jail sentence, granting him a first offender waiver and ordering community service.
A jury convicted Hecht on Oct. 28 of buying sex from one young man and threatening to kill another to keep him from talking about their previous sex-for-money relationship.
John School is a Tacoma-area program to teach patrons arrested for soliciting prostitutes the bad effects of the sex trade.
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