A Maricopa County judge, Jane McLaughlin has come under fire after dismissing attempted murder charges against Kaci Sloan, a 19-year-old student of the Arizona State University.
Sloan stabbed fellow student, Mara Daffron, in a brutal attack that left the victim with a ruptured spleen and injuries to her chest and arm.
However, at the most recent court date, Judge Jane McLaughlin dropped the first-degree attempted murder charges against Kaci Sloan, a move which has sparked outrage on social media.
“Democrat judge, Jane McLaughlin, in Arizona dropped first-degree attempted murder charge against black student, Kaci Sloan, who admitted planning to kill fellow ASU student, Mara Daffron,” a post from an outraged user on X (formerly Twitter) read.
The user went on to note that the victim suffered serious wounds and now even has to drop out of college to focus on getting better and getting her life back on track yet the perpetrator who admitted to their crime has even been granted bail.
“Judge McLaughlin even granted Kaci bail. Her victim was rushed into emergency surgery for a ruptured spleen and injuries to her chest and arm. Mara is dropping out of college – her life will never be the same. The only question now is whether justice will be served…” the post continued.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE? Democrat judge, Jane McLaughlin, in Arizona dropped first-degree attempted murder charge against black student, Kaci Sloan, who admitted planning to kill fellow ASU student, Mara Daffron, the night before, stabbing her merely because she was an ‘easy target’.… pic.twitter.com/zQbb5kOqPm
— @amuse (@amuse) October 3, 2024
Comments under the post largely skewered Judge McLaughlin for her soft on crime approach.
“So you can now admit to premeditating an attempted murder and still get off. Banana republic,” one comment read.
Meanwhile, other commenters noted that the charges were likely dismissed as a grand jury indictment in the case was imminent.
Judge Jane McLaughlin according to her bio was educated at Colorado State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989.
She proceeded to the University of New Mexico for her Juris Doctorate, graduating magna cum laude in 1994.
She’s previously worked with the Maricopa County Attorneys Office, the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and the United States Attorneys Office.
She was one-time Vice President and General Counsel for the Phoenix Suns and Arizona Diamondbacks.