By JESSICA SIEFF
Niles Daily Star

An emotional plea for justice was heard in a Berrien County courtroom Monday as Jimmie Taylor stood before the court for his sentencing, convicted of third degree criminal sexual conduct, failure to appear in court and two unrelated counts of domestic abuse.

The mother of the victim spoke through tears as she pleaded with Judge Scott Schofield to sentence Taylor to something more severe than the recommended 180 days in jail.

“My daughter is never going to be the same,” her mother, of Niles, said. “I’m never going to have that piece of my daughter back again. She’s been in counseling. She’s made suicide attempts.”

Schofield ordered Taylor not to look at his victim’s mother as she spoke, stopping every so often, overwhelmed with emotion.

“She’s got to live with this the rest of her life,” she continued. “She thinks it’s her fault and nothing I say or do helps.

“He broke my trust,” she said. “And he hurt my daughter and he hurt me and 180 days isn’t nothing for what he’s done to my family.”

Taylor struggled with his apology and appeared quiet, unemotional and unaffected by the words spoken just moments before his sentence.

“Victims of sexual assault, Mr. Taylor, feel used,” Schofield said. “They don’t feel like a person; they feel like an object. That is the way you made this person feel and you made her feel like it was all her fault.

“That is a terrible message to send to another human being,” he said.

Still, Schofield sentenced Taylor to jail for a term not to exceed 180 days to be followed by a term of probation with no contact with any female under age 18. Taylor must register with the state’s sex offender registry and he may not live or work near any school zone.

“You have a real fine line to walk sir,” Schofield said, “if you want to avoid prison.”
Details of the sexual abuse have not been given to protect the identity of the victim.