Joseph Martin, the 53-year-old former Woodside Elementary school (Concord) teacher convicted in 2015 of 19 counts of child molestation for touching his male students’ bare chests, has been released from San Quentin State Prison, and is now living in Placer County, according to the Megan’s Law website.
As we previously reported in 2015, a Contra Costa County jury found that Martin developed inappropriate relationships with his students, often beginning in the fourth and fifth grades, including instances where he put his hands under students’ shirts, on their chests and sometimes rubbed their nipples.
During the trial in 2015, Deputy District Attorney Derek Butts painted a picture of a teacher who would befriend certain students and often invited them over to his house, with their parents’ consent.
On at least one occasion, Martin massaged one student in his bedroom, Butts said.
He was convicted on January 27, 2015, sentenced in late March of 2015, and was taken to San Quentin on April 30, 2015.
He faced 25 years in prison, but the judge sentenced him to 12, and he only served a little over six.
It was a much more lenient sentence than the 25 years to life that is required by statute as the minimum sentence.
“It’s not every day you can get a judge to hold that the statutory sentence is cruel and unusual,” according to his defense attorney, Patrick Clancy of the Innocence Legal Team.
Clancy said there are two ways to look at cruel and unusual punishment. The first is to look at the statute itself and whether the minimum sentence is unconstitutional.
The other way is to argue that as applied to the facts of the case, the sentence is cruel and unusual, Clancy said.
“That’s what I said,” Clancy said. “I filed a motion that 25 years to life was cruel and unusual under the circumstances of this case. It’s case specific and the judge agreed.”
Martin is now a registered sex offender.
photo: Joseph Martin – courtesy of the Megan’s Law Website
32 comments
May he stay away from this area forever. He caused so many so much pain.
This SOB has more rights than his victims. There are laws that have greater protection for animals than children. What a sick world that we live in. He will be protected by the law to insure his safety and privacy. We as citizens will be asked for our vaccination card in order to enjoy life. Talk about discrimination and injustice. What a sick and perverted state that we live in.
+1
@tired… wth are you babbling about. Masks and pederasts are different topics and you whining and complaining like a child doesn’t relate the two. This incessant belly aching about masks and equating them to tyranny is absurd and pathetic. Wear it or don’t. Vax or don’t. but shut up already. It isn’t tyranny and if you think it is you are a dullard and need to read more.
Tired
There is a simple solution for scum like this……
One Bullet
Some of you may get mad for me saying this, but at least he didn’t beat & kill someone. So I don’t feel bad after serving 6 years that he’s out. Seems to violent criminals and murderers get out sooner than that! And they are the ones I worry about. Don’t get me wrong touching boys chests is not a virtue but come on it’s not violent rape or murder either.
Yeah! You kinda do sound like an asshat! You only know half of the story saying he “rubbed little boys chest” did you also know he would invite them over to his house cause he had a pool and would have them change in a specific bathroom that had cameras in it? Did you know that he would threaten them that he’ll hurt their parents if they told anyone? Did you know ?!? When we we sat down in a circle to do reading time he would place books over boys laps. And touch there private parts?? Kindly screw off. He should be in jail for life along side with murders and violent criminals.
Jeff Wiener and others in the assembly consider that to be a virtue.
The inmates are not just running the asylum, they are tearing up the rulebooks.
He didn’t beat or kill someone? Not yet. What about the damage done to these children? Emotionally scarred? Hopefully these kids get the support and help they deserve. The mental trauma this man caused is reprehensible. Six years, what a joke.
@Uh
That stuff wasn’t in the article. If what you’re saying is true, then his crimes are past an order of magnitude worse than what the article said he was convicted for.
Calling someone an asshat is an improper response to an honest bit of ignorance. Listing his other crimes (and citing your sources) is an infinitely better way to make the argument.
@Uh Nothing I have read indicates any genital contact. Martin always argued what he did (patting boys on the chest over their shirts) was an accepted method to calm them down. He has data to back that up.
The East Bay Times states, “Martin’s first criminal trial ended in a mistrial with that jury hopelessly deadlocked and leaning heavily toward acquittal.”
However, following the criminal conviction, MDUSD spent $369,000 and 2 1/2 years to fight the release of an internal report that indicated the district knew about this guy in 2006 and did nothing about it. This was an attempt to protect itself from civil suits.
“A 2006 internal district report was the critical piece of evidence. It offered conflicting conclusions of Martin’s activities that school year, but investigator Mark Williams warned that ‘this report would not be honest and its conclusions not fully supported if I did not report that the circumstances surrounding these allegations did not at least suggest the subject matter of potential child abuse.’ District officials did not report the findings to police.”
I don’t know what to believe at this point.
See link below.
Joseph Martin molestation case: $1.2 million tentative settlement reached (eastbaytimes.com)
https://bayareane.ws/3zdvFm5
Badge 1104 — No comment.
Bob Kazamakis — This story has been on Claycord several times. And on the news, and in the newspapers. And most people on this site are local. Even if you’re reading this story for the first time, you don’t get 12 years for touching a boy on the chest. It’s not Uh’s responsibility to cite sources and explain crimes. That’s what journalists are for. And they’re paid for their time.
But I do understand your point. Your approach is out the window for most of us when it comes to child molesters.
He should be in prison for life.
What is wrong with you . Someone needs to watch you
You CLEARLY forgot that commiefornia passed RAPE as a non-violent crime and therefore let’s criminals free if accused. I can see who you voted for.
Not the perspective I would have expected from @Badge1104. wait… is this the real Badge1104? Take of that hideous mask!
Could have been sentenced to 25 but he got 12 and only served 6. Will he be a repeat offender?
Hey, Badge 1104 wanna roll the dice on your kid?
Sick POS is lucky he didn’t touch my child!
So here we have a danger to society out free butHid forbid you come into a restaurant gym etc without showing proof of the vaccine. Sad.
Thats because its never been about science or health or even saving lives. My heart goes out to the children and families victimized by this pervert.
Eww, I went to woodside as a child and he was my sisters teacher , his sister Miss Martin was my teacher , sick to think this happen so close to home now my child attends that school!! & I swear some of the teachers back then knew he was a lil off.
They absolutely knew.
Yes they knew and they voiced their concerns, but were ignored. My kids went to Woodside during the Mr. Martin years.
They failed to do their job and report concerns to CPS and let authorities investigate. They decided to investigate on their own comparing notes and protecting students from their favorite families.
Not sure how he made it through SAN QUENTIN. When I was there, those types were removed, stabbed or killed. Prison must have gotten soft in the last 8 years.
People are liars he never had a pool at his house. The Da was not going to prosecute him if he took a pole and gave up teaching. People are talking out their a$$. I have friends who did some home repairs for him. No pool
For those replying to @uh please note that he probably has some knowledge of the situation because one statement says ‘we’ because something isn’t reported or brought up in trial does not mean it did not happen.@uh if I am correct in my assumption I am so very very sorry you had to endure those acts of evil. Most do not understand the deep trauma that you experienced. Several bills have been passed that weaken and lessen laws that punish sex offenders. They absolutely endanger children and men like this one will be able to period the judicial system and get removed off the sex offenders list.
That would do it! 👍🏻
just don’t ask him to wear a mask because that would be tyranny
Fixed
Can I add to your suggest that he be castrated with a dull rusty serrated knife.
But personally I have a permanent solution for scum that harm children….One Bullet!!!!
I find it very troubling that perpetrators who are “cruel and unusual” with their victims always seem to get out of prison early. And what is the recidivism rate of someone what has this kind of track-record?
You can bet that the Judges and D.A.s will never bear the full consequences for their gross negligence.
.
CA is soft on crime.
.
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