"We do not often criticize the decisions of judges in criminal cases. For the most part, there is little cause to do so. That is because, in case after case, they exercise the power of their office to fairly apply the law and thus satisfy the demands of justice.

There are exceptions. Like all humans, judges are fallible. Only rarely, though, can a jurist be faulted for giving preferential treatment to an admitted felon. It is for that cause that we are compelled to condemn U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups' decision to assign no prison time to the first two defendants in a string of cases brought by the government against traffickers in ancient American Indian artifacts.

Waddoups, choosing to ignore federal sentencing guidelines and the reasonable recommendation of federal prosecutors, gave three years probation and a $2,000 fine to Blanding resident Jeanne Redd. She had pleaded guilty to seven felonies. Her daughter Jericca pleaded guilty to three, and got two years probation and a $300 fine.

Between them, the Redds forfeited 812 artifacts, including human remains, stone tools, ceramic bowls and sacred funerary objects plundered from federal land in the Four Corners region."

Get the Story:
Editorial: Misplaced mercy (The Salt Lake Tribune 9/21)

Another Opinion:
Malin Foster: Subtle racism (The Salt Lake Tribune 9/24)

Related Stories:
EchoHawk upset by 'trading' of Indian artifacts (9/21)
Defendants in Indian artifact theft avoid prison (9/17)
Defendant in artifact theft case shows in court (9/15)
Indian artifact case spans Four Corners states (08/27)
Indictment and sentence for theft of artifacts (8/26)
SFe Reporter: Thieves stealing Indian history (08/19)
Judge wants action in Indian artifact case (8/18)
Dealers note shift in NAGPRA enforcement (8/14)
Native man tied to artifact theft investigation (8/7)
More suspects in big Indian artifact theft case (8/6)
New charges in connection with artifact theft (7/14)
Agents remove artifacts from Utah family's home (7/8)
Mother, daughter plead guilty to artifact theft (7/7)
Opinion: Indian artifact theft difficult to combat (6/29)
Defendants in artifact theft linked to scheme (6/25)
Another defendant in artifact theft found dead (6/22)
Letter: GOP hypocrisy on artifact theft case (6/22)
Dorgan won't investigate artifact theft case (6/19)
Editorial: Pandering in Utah artifact theft case (6/18)
Attorney General defends Indian artifact case (6/18)
Art dealer denies wrongdoing after artifact raid (6/18)
Utah town upset over Indian artifact theft case (6/17)
Column: 'Overkill' in Indian artifact theft case (6/17)
Agents searched New Mexico art dealer's home (6/17)
Utah town upset over Indian artifact theft case (6/17)
Utah GOP upset with Indian artifact theft case (6/15)
Tribes support prosecution of artifact theft case (6/12)
Defendant in DOI artifact theft case found dead (6/12)
Two dozen indicted for theft of Indian artifacts (6/11)
Salazar, EchoHawk in Utah for press conference (6/10)