DATE: Tuesday, April 1, 1997                TAG: 9704010264

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B2   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: MANTEO                            LENGTH:   41 lines

7 PEOPLE PROTEST RETURN OF JUDGE WHO SYMPATHIZED WITH 2 IN TRIAL

Seven Outer Banks residents carried signs in a blowing rain Monday morning protesting the return of Superior Court Judge Paul M. Wright of Goldsboro to Dare County.

The residents objected to a comment made by the judge after he sentenced two young men for the sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl. He said he admired the men for ``making it in the world without a father.''

Wright said then his remarks were taken out of context and did not mean he was condoning the actions of the men.

Wright, 48, held court as scheduled and declined comment about the pickets, who were required to stay 300 feet from the courthouse under a parade permit granted by the town of Manteo.

Last week, the North Carolina Judicial Standards Commission ruled that Wright's remarks were not sufficient to warrant further investigation by the six-member panel.

That did not deter marchers, who carried signs reading ``Wright is Wrong'' and ``Wright is Wrong in North Carolina.'' They left after the judge entered the courtroom.

``The Judicial Standards Commission says my file is closed,'' said Mary Gillen of Kitty Hawk, one of the group of protesters. ``But I haven't closed it. We need to show Judge Wright and other judges that they are responsible for their actions.''

Michael Egan of Manteo said that Wright's remarks send the wrong message to young men. The two defendants - who received no active jail time under the plea agreement - were ages 27 and 19.

``My sons have two sisters,'' Egan said. ``I think all boys and young men are being sent the wrong message that they would not be held responsible for their actions if they behave in a negative way toward women.''

Egan said similar messages are being sent through the media.

``There seems to be a movement in our culture that you see in music, and TV and things like `Beavis and Butthead' that women are objects to be used and generally disrespected as women. When the courts do not hold young men responsible for their actions, then we're one step closer to condoning rape.''

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