By WILSON RING
Jan. 26, 2006, 10:02AM

BURLINGTON, Vt. — A judge who was widely vilified after sentencing a man to just 60 days in jail for sexually abusing a child said Thursday he would increase that sentence to at least three years.

Judge Edward Cashman said he felt he could impose the longer sentence now because the state had agreed to provide treatment to the man while he is behind bars.

Originally, the state had said such treatment would not come until after the man had served his time.

Mark Hulett, 34, had pleaded guilty to charges that he had sexual contact with a girl during a four-year period beginning when she was 6.

At the original sentencing, Cashman said the best way to ensure public safety was to get Hulett out of prison so he could receive sex offender treatment.

Because the Corrections Department concluded that Hulett wasn't likely to reoffend, he wouldn't be eligible to receive sex-offender treatment until he reached the end of his jail term.

After Cashman announced the sentence, Gov. James Douglas called for the judge to resign and several lawmakers suggested he be impeached. On Fox News, Bill O'Reilly told viewers as video of Cashman rolled: "You may be looking at the worst judge in the USA."

In his order Thursday, the judge remained firm in his original belief that sentences must be concerned with more than just punishment.

"The court agrees a punitive response _ punishment _ is a valuable and necessary component of society's response to criminal conduct," he said. "It is a tool that the court has routinely used for the past 24 years on the trial bench. As stated during the sentencing hearing, however, punishment is not enough of a response in some cases.

"This is one of those cases," he said.
The hearing Thursday was recessed to allow Hulett and his lawyer to discuss the longer sentence of 3- to 10-years. Under the original agreement, Hulett could opt for a trial if a jail term of more than 90 days was imposed.

Houston Chronicle