Thursday, July 24, 2008

Does Aaron Mohanlal Serve As An Example of A Break Down In The System?


Sometimes, the system breaks down. Don't get me wrong, for over 200 years our system of justice has demonstrated it is second to none. But every once in a while, something just does not seem right. For example, Aaron Mohanlal, a South Florida middle school art teacher, apparently forced a boy to have sex in a classroom supply closet, yet he has not had any prison time. (Mohanlal is out on bond.)
Allegedly, Aaron Mohanlal would allegedly sometimes take the seventh grade boy to his home for sex. To keep the boy quiet, Mohanlal supposedly bought the 13-year-old a cell phone. When the teacher was arrested, hidden video allegedly shows the teacher attempting to destroy threatening letters. A Broward County jury convicted Mohanlal of 13 counts, including child abuse, molestation and lewd battery. Mohanlal was sentenced him to 43 years. Nevertheless, a year later, Mohanlal is still out on bond while his case is on appeal pursuant to the order of Broward Circuit Judge Marc Gold.
According to CNN, while out of jail on bond Mohanlal has been allowed to work a construction job. (He resigned from teaching in 2005 after his arrest. ) While Mohanlal's address is on the state's sex offender registry, that is little counselation to the victim and his family.
Mohanlal's appellate attorney is Tom Odom. His client currently enjoys the right to live, work, travel and attend church in South Florida. Mohanlal only restrictions appear to be a GPS device, registration as a sex offender and the surrendering of his passport. Mohanlal also cannot contact the boy or his family. Mohanlal posted $610,000 bond according to legal documents.

Post-conviction bonds are rare. However, they are sometimes granted if there was a procedural error during trial. No such procedural errors are known, but anything is possible. In the absence of a conviction for murder or sexual battery, Florida defendants without prior felonies are eligible for post-conviction bond. It just is very rare that it be granted without a suspected procedural error. (Mohanal was convicted of second- and third-degree felonies.)

Does it seem like a break down in the system? Yes. He has already been convicted. Barring a procedural error likely to warrant reversal, Mohanlal ought to be a guest of the Florida penal system in our view.
Update 7-25-08: Think Legal Pub is not well read? Guess again. One can't help that between CNN and Legal Pub, the word of justice gets out. Yesterday, the Broward County prosecutor filed a motion to reconsider the $610,000 bond. If granted, Mohanlal will be brought back into custody.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Does not sound like this guy should be out on bond to me!

Ms Calabaza said...

Wow! Big breakdown in the system! I want to meet his attorney - must be good ...

Anonymous said...

This is a necessary safe guard. His conviction may be overturned!

Anonymous said...

Over turned? NO WAY!

Anonymous said...

Scary how this all worked out...

Anonymous said...

Maybe the judge is corrupt!

Anonymous said...

Mohanlal is a word that stands for the highest kind of person. One who would do anything to help others. Ironic how this fellow got a name that has such a lofty meaning. Wish people would stop copying names withpout knowing what they mean or stand for. What an insult to a beautiful name.

Anonymous said...

Give this crazy judge a piece of your mind. His telephone number at the Broward county court is (954) 831-7807. For the safety of the children in Florida, this Judge needs to go. Probably better suited for traffic court.

Anonymous said...

Looks like more illegal alien crime against children. He needs to go to jail and then he needs to be deported after serving his sentence.

Joel A. Brodsky said...

I don't see any breakdown in the system here. Post judgment bonds are not granted unless the defendant demonstates that he has a good chance of success on appeal. As LP knows jury trial are the legal equivalent of brain surgery. Even in the best of them mistakes happen. Also, to call a serious mistake "procedural" is wrong. Very often our most precious constitutional rights are embodied in procedural rules.

Legal Pub said...

Think Legal Pub is not well read? Guess again. One can't help that between CNN and Legal Pub, the word of justice gets out. Yesterday, the Broward County prosecutor filed a motion to reconsider the $610,000 bond. If granted, Mohanlal will be brought back into custody.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Joel. Bet there was a major error that will warrant a retrial!

Anonymous said...

That no one checked this miscreant's real estate holdings simply reeks of 'dummies in charge'. Not a surprise at all given the like behavior of our banks which gave million dollar interest only loans to cashiers from Target (no offense against Target cashiers). No one checked their employments histories and no one checked this pedophile's 'equity' either. Judge Marc Gold dropped the ball big time, but worse, the bond should NEVER HAVE BEEN GRANTED in the first place. Mohanlal is the worst sort of scumbag. When his victim stopped allowing the abuse and reported the abuse to his parents, Mohanlal made flyers (security camera has this on record) about his victim having sex with dogs and then DISTRIBUTED THE MATERIAL IN THE SCHOOL where he worked and where the boy attended school. WHAAAAAT??? After sodimizing and raping the child in a broom closet??? No way did he EVER deserve to have bond and I don't care if his family owned the Taj Mahal. Hopefully now, in the general prison population, he will get the just treatment he deserves from his colleagues in the slammer. THEY will know EXACTLY what to do with him.. Since we can't trust the law to protect our children and in FLA in particular it seems to be open season on children - well then, let these perverts reside forever more in the CEMETERY as the sage Dennis Miller has suggested in lieu of GPS monitoring.

Anonymous said...

child predators should never be allowed to return to the streets.

Anonymous said...

Justice can make mistakes. We can forgive.

Anonymous said...

Mohanlal is from a small town in Trinidad, from what I understand he always act very weird. Going in the dark of the night to the home of two young boy's and pelting stones on their windows so they could come out and sit in the dark and talk with him. He would also buy chocolate and clothes for them. Everyone find it strange but no one talk to him about it. His family was aware of his strange ways but they always make excuses and try to protect him.
It is good after so many years that he got caught. I'm not sure if enough measures was taken. But time spend in jail would have teach him a lesson.