Judge who gave suspended sentence for incest speaks out

Amy Beth Hanson

Associated Press

HELENA — An eastern Montana judge who has been criticized for handing down a suspended prison sentence in an incest case defended his decision in a statement released Friday.

District Judge John McKeon said Valley County prosecutors did not challenge a psychosexual evaluation that said the 40-year-old defendant could be safely treated and supervised in the community. The plea agreement that recommended at least a 25-year prison sentence allowed for a lesser sentence depending on the results of the evaluation, he noted.

McKeon criticized news coverage of...