FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
| Date: | January 9, 2020 |
| Contact: | Emily Lowe Public Information Officer 208-287-7700 |
| RE: | State v. Rod Lee Fulton sentencing |
BOISE – Rod Lee Fulton, 47, was sentenced Tuesday to a unified sentence of 30 years in prison, with 15 years of those fixed, for felony rape and attempted strangulation.
Mr. Fulton was arrested in March 2019 on a warrant for attempted strangulation which occurred in April 2018. During that investigation, it was discovered that Mr. Fulton had also held a knife to his victim’s throat and raped her. He was subsequently charged with three more felonies, including rape, aggravated assault and an enhancement for the use of a deadly weapon in the commission of a felony. In October 2019, a jury convicted Mr. Fulton of rape and attempted strangulation.
The Honorable District Judge Michael Reardon imposed a unified sentence of 30 years in prison for the rape charge, with 15 years of those to be served before being eligible for parole. He also sentenced Mr.
Fulton to a fixed 15 year prison sentence for the attempted strangulation charge. The Judge ordered these sentences to be served concurrently.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Reardon said to Mr. Fulton, “Your personal circumstances and attitudes suggest that you are among the most dangerous people that we in this job have to deal with. It couldn’t be more obvious in your case because you have no empathy, you express no empathy, you blame your victim and you project attitudes that are grandiose to the point of delusion.”
“I was told a long time ago that we save prison for people that scare us, not the ones that make us mad,” said Reardon. “And you frighten me.” The Judge also issued a 30-year no contact order.
The survivor in this case expressed appreciation for the assistance she received and said, “I encourage anyone in a similar situation to utilize the many services available because they provide help in reporting and getting out of a dangerous situation.”
More information about resources for domestic violence and sexual assault victims can be found at FACES of Hope Victim Center’s website www.facesofhopevictimcenter.org and the Women’s and Children’s Alliance website at wcaboise.org.