Former School Bus Driver Admits to Rape – Watertown Judge Refuses to Jail Him

Watertown. Judge James P. McClusky of Watertown, NY refused district attorneys request to designate Shane M. Piche, 26, a level 2 sex offender, after Piche admitted he raped a 14-year-old girl.

According to Judge McClusky, Piche had no prior arrests and ‘there was only one victim’ and he is ‘considered to be at low risk of committing the crime again’. With a level one designation, Piche will not be included in the online sex offender databases.

Piche, a former Watertown City School District bus driver, admitted to raping a 14-year-old girl in a plea deal in February and was sentenced to ten years’ probation on Thursday, April 25, 2019 in Jefferson County Court. He is also required to pay $375 in court fees and surcharges and a $1,000 special sex offender registration fee.

The ruling shocked many who in the days since, have taken to social media to express their disgust with the idea that “one victim” somehow isn’t enough.

As the conversation turned from disgust to anger, it eventually led to ‘privilege’. Was Piche granted a lenient sentence for being white and male.

McClusky, who was elected in 2011, is scheduled to hold his position until 2025. In light of his ruling in the Piche case, many are calling for him to be recalled. A petition to recall him has garnered almost 3,500 of its 4,000 required signatures.

“This judge has NO problem letting rapists go when a young girl’s life has been forever changed and will cause her emotional problems for many years to come at a cost of thousands of dollars for therapy,” read the petition. “Where’s her justice? This judge is a misogynist for allowing a rapist to basically go free. Recall Judge James P. McClusky!”

According to WWNYTV, Judge McClusky has a history of protecting alleged sexual abusers. In January, McClusky reportedly denied a transgender woman’s request to have her 2017 arrest investigated. According to the New York Civil Liberties Union, DeAnna LeTray said that Watertown police and Jefferson County corrections officers harassed and abused her during her arrest, ripped her hair off, and sexually assaulted her. McClusky eventually ruled that the incident didn’t deserve an investigation, saying, “Complaining individuals do not have the right to have the DHR investigate those complaints.”

News of McClusky’s decision has made national news. On Twitter, the hashtag #RecallMcClusky is trending and the petition to have McClusky removed can be found at

https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/recall-judge-james-p?r_hash=5FHZZJxU&source=s.tw

Many are of the view, McClusky should have the same fate as Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky, who sentenced Stanford rapist Brock Turner to only six months in jail in 2016 despite witnesses catching him in the act. The Turner case gained national attention following a moving speech from the survivor. Perksy was recalled last year.