ND- Appeals Court Upholds Child Sex Abuse Conviction

Recognizing that a strong sentence is warranted here, but in essence, a life without parole sentence? Cases far worse than this have received less sentences. This appears excessive, but thats what the Adam Walsh Act is all about, excessivenesses, someday it will be overturned. Lack of evidence should not have been the issue on appeal.

2-12-2009 North Dakota:

A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction of a man who prosecutors said was the first to be sentenced in North Dakota under a 2006 federal sex offender law.

Norris Lohnes of Fort Totten was sentenced 30 years in prison last year for sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl. It was the minimum sentence required under the federal Adam Walsh Act.

The law was named for 6-year-old Adam Walsh, who was abducted from a Florida shopping mall in 1981 and later found slain.

Lohnes` appeal challenged evidence in his case, saying the child was reluctant to talk about what happened to her and that prosecutors used leading questions.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected those arguments, saying the evidence supported Lohnes` conviction. ..News Source.. by KFYR TV