'Montana Rapist' Teacher Leaves Jail After A Month

Stacey Rambold, the 54-year-old teacher in Montana who had plead guilty to raping a 14-year-old girl who later killed herself, is set to be released released from prison Thursday. He has served a sentence of 30 days.

Yup. 30 days.

The sentence made headlines after it was handed down by District Judge G. Todd Baugh in August, who declared at the time that the victim, Cherise Moralez, was "older than her chronological age" and "as much in control of the situation." His comments and lenient sentence sparked nationwide outrage.

Baugh later tried to backtrack on his comments, saying that he regretted his statement, but stood by the brief sentence. Still, after continued scrutiny the judged tried to walk back his sentencing decision as well, asking for a new hearing that would potentially increase Rambold's sentence — adding two more years.

In September, Montana's Supreme Court shutdown plans for changing the sentence. Now Montana's attorney general is appealing the sentence, meaning that Rambold could potentially face a longer sentence in the future.

Rambold was first charged with three counts of sexual intercourse without consent in 2008; the rape had occurred in 2007. In 2010, while the case was still pending, Moralez committed suicide. Rambold was given a three-year deferred prosecution agreement, which allowed the case to be dismissed if he met a number of conditions including finishing a sex offender treatment program and avoiding contact with minors.

At the end of 2012, it came out that Rambold had not finished the treatment program and had been having unsupervised visits with children within his family.

Moralez' mother said that she remains hopeful that justice will be served. Justice Baugh, she said, "made a mistake, and I'm disappointed." She'd spoken previously about her disappointment that Rambold is "still skating justice." "[31] days, that's outrageous, but the Montana Supreme Court stepped in. Hopefully they'll make it right."

After his release, Rambold will be placed on probation for 14 years and 11 months.