Arizona law student and judicial clerk, Kumari Fulbright, 25, is about to get a close exposure to the criminal justice system after her arrest for the allegedly kidnapping and torturing an ex-boyfriend.
Kumari Fulbright was allegedly committed the crimes with three men on Dec. 18 and charged with kidnapping, armed robbery, aggravated robbery and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. It was a bizarre turn of events for Fulbright who went from an Arizona repeat beauty queen to bathing suit calendar girl to law student and law clerk. As a University of Arizona Law Student, Fulbright was an extern for U.S. District Judge Raner Collins.
The indictment alleges that she held her former boyfriend captive, Robert Ergonis, for ten hours at two Tucson homes. In addition to taking money from him, it is alleged that she bit him several times, stuck a butcher knife in his ear, and threatened him with a gun. When she was told to watch the victim, he grabbed Fulbright’s gun and it went off. He then fled the house and called for help.
For a law student in her second year to be involved in such a crime is extraordinarily rare. It was a considerable achievement for Fulbright to be admitted to the University of Arizona, which is a well-respected school. She was interested in a career in entertainment law. The case has shocked faculty and students across the country.
She is unlikely to get a break in this case. With the case covered by the national media, the prosecutors are likely to press hard for a heavy sentence. In addition, prosecutors and the courts tend to treat lawyers and law students more harshly for crossing the criminal line. This was more than a crossing of a line, obviously, and more like crossing a continent.
I’m really going to start of in saying this is absolutely sickening. I suppose I have to admit I do, like many other people hold a certain stereotype to not expect a young girl of this calibre to be involved in such a heinous crime.
It is further surprising as she was a law student. Which I guess we can only assume Fulbright was mentally disturbed and obvious extremely distressed or angry with her break-up from Ergonis.
It’s important that Fulbright is not only punished for her crimes as they are horrifying but also that she is made an example of. Not only to outline the issues of her being a law student and the crimes being totally inhumane but also to prove that women will be punished just as harshly as men and there will be no indiscretion simply because she is what she is.
UPDATE:
12/9/10 – Kumari Fulbright was sentenced to two years in prison and six years’ probation.