Fed. Prosecutor Busted in Sex Sting Attempts Suicide

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 07:10:53 PM EST
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John D.R. Atchison, the federal prosecutor from Florida arrested last week when he flew to Detroit allegedly to have sex with a five year old, tried to commit suicide yesterday.

John D.R. Atchison, 53, used a sheet in an attempted hanging around 4 a.m., said Sanilac County Sheriff Virgil Strickler. Another inmate yelled out to jailers, who kept Atchison from hurting himself, Strickler said.

He was placed on a suicide watch when arrested, but it was lifted at his lawyer's request and after Atchison assured the court he wouldn't try and kill himself.

James C. Thomas of Detroit, Atchison's lawyer, had also asked U.S. Magistrate Judge Virginia M. Morgan to lift the suicide watch on Atchison, based on what his client told him.

"We all operate on the best of intentions," Thomas said today. "At the time, I thought it was the right decision. Apparently, it was a mistake. "I feel as bad about it as anyone."

Atchison has been removed from the jail. Hopefully they will take him somewhere he can get a complete psychiatric evaluation. As I wrote last week, he clearly needs help.

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Fed. Prosecutor Busted in Sex Sting Attempts Suicide | 14 comments (14 topical)

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Jail is beside the point (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by chemoelectric on Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 10:37:18 PM EST

It's a beautiful thing when someone with a psychiatric condition has a chance to recover or at least to manage the problem, and has some success.

Atchison (5.00 / 0) (#10)
by bronco214 on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 09:30:23 AM EST

I can find absolutely no sympathy for this pervert. He needs to be kept alive until a trial but beyond that, let what happens happen.
IMHO there should be no plea bargain offered until he produces the names of the other children he has admitted to molesting. These are the ones in need of psychiatric help. The potential damage caused by his actions is unknowable.

: Who said anything about feeling sympathy for him? (none / 0) (#12)
by Edger on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 04:53:28 PM EST

Not appropriate (none / 0) (#1)
by Lora on Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 08:02:29 PM EST

A lawyer, whether a great lawyer or an average one, is not an appropriate person to evaluate someone for suicide risk.

What I want to know is (none / 0) (#2)
by kovie on Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 09:03:15 PM EST

what does this guy know about his colleagues and goings-on at the DoJ, do his vocal cords still work, and is he willing to cut a deal--some leniency and of course all the treatment that he needs (which he should get either way)--in exchange for ratting out his fellow Regents LS rats?

Sorry if this comes across as crass and exploitative--and of course it IS. But I want to get to the bottom of the DoJ scandals and I don't care what it takes to do that. The stakes are simply too high. We haven't heard much about this since Gonzo skipped town, but it's still there--not just as an unresolved scandal but as a still-ongoing one within the DoJ--and it needs to be unraveled, ended and dealt with.

And this wouldn't be the first time in recent history that a pedophile creep did the party and country a "favor" by making a mistake.

dreamer (1.00 / 2) (#3)
by jimakaPPJ on Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 09:39:51 PM EST

You haven't heard much because there wasn't much to hear. The Demos were just flexing their political muscle and stirring up the base.


Please stay on topic (5.00 / 2) (#5)
by Jeralyn on Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 10:29:54 PM EST

thanks.


: That would require being honest and intelligent (5.00 / 1) (#7)
by kovie on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 03:28:06 AM EST

Two qualities sorely lacking in trolls.

You want to align yourself with pedophiles (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by kovie on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 03:30:46 AM EST

and their enablers, then be my guest.


From the guy who likes (none / 0) (#13)
by jondee on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:37:06 PM EST

to claim "the Left politicizes everything".

Of course the foot-tapping, cluster bombing faction has a hard time grasping that this might have anything to do with concern for child welfare or helping the mentally distressed.


Atchison (none / 0) (#4)
by Edger on Fri Sep 21, 2007 at 10:05:55 PM EST

needs to be in a psychiatric hospital, not in a prison, IMO.

He needs both. (none / 0) (#9)
by Geekesque on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 08:24:24 AM EST

He needs to be competent to stand trial and assist in his own defense.

But, trying to rape a child merits a harsh jail sentence.


: I completely agree that (none / 0) (#11)
by Edger on Sat Sep 22, 2007 at 01:17:54 PM EST

trying to rape a child merits a harsh jail sentence.
If a person who does it is doing it out of choice and not out of uncontrollable compulsion, which I suspect is the case with people like Atchison.
I don't believe that anyone sane would do what he allegedly tried to do, out of sane choosing.
I think he has a disease that is creating an uncontrollable compulsion.
We don't put people with other diseases in prison for their diseases, as revolting as their diseases may make them act.
We treat them. Or we should, IMO.

Send the pervert to (none / 0) (#14)
by Electa on Mon Sep 24, 2007 at 03:53:34 PM EST

prison and then give him treatment for molesting children...how sick and the thought of some trying to justify this freak's behavior is disgusting. These prosecutors are not above the law and they have entirely too much power over peoples'lives. I wonder how many people with mental illnesses have this jerk sent to prison? Hell no, lock him up and let BOP deal with his sick mind.