LIVE blog from Ward sentencing

By Dan Noyes

11:40 am: Ward has until noon Friday to surrender to federal marshals.

11:26 am: Sentenced to 87 months

11:24 am: Ward told probation officer he was abused as a youngster from the fifth to seventh grade.

11:19 am: Ward speaks..." I take full responsibility. "

11:11 am: Prosecutor Steve Grocki: "he traded in the currency of human suffering, of children’s' suffering."

11:00 am: Ward's attorney says "this is one of the saddest, if not the saddest day of my career" and pleads for five year sentence.

10:57 am: Judge decides use of computer should be enhancement.

10:50 am: Defense now arguing Ward's use of computer should not add additional time to Ward's sentence, as prosecution argues.

10:48 am: Just spent several minutes discussing I-Team report about complaints when Ward was priest. Judge decides while they may go to character, the events happened too long ago to be relevant to sentencing.

10:46 am: Judge just officially accepted Ward's guilty plea. Discussing sentencing score.

10:37 am: More security than at last court appearance

10:33 am: Ward just walked into court with wife and three of their children. Hugged special friends. He's sitting in the third row. Wife and children in front row.

10:20 am: Court room opens

10:04 am: Ward arrived at 9:40 am. As he got out of the family SUV, his daughter hugged him and his wife and three of his four kids accompanied him into the federal building. Ward was stone-faced and didn't answer when I asked him, "Bernie, any words for your fans and supporters?"

Comments

[Rick Hendricks]

You deserve more time than what you were given. I hope you have to do it all.

[Brian]

At least it is more than 5 years. I wonder what 87 months will mean in actual time served. The lion belongs in the cage for at least 87 months!!! I hope it will be in Soledad where the sex offenders go, and not some brokered deal in country club Lompoc.

[linda]

i'm disgusted at people saying HIS career and life is ruined. those child porn pix of children will be around for other filthy men like ward to view forever. when will you people realize what this does to children. i hope he rots in prison

[john personal trainers Austin]

"Wife and children in front row"

What a shame for the family?

[Brian]

Thank you, Dan, for staying on this story and for the live blog.

[Susan]

I hope all you anti-Bernie people enjoy seeing your tax dollars pay for his confinement. This is a very sad day for Bernie fans.

[VARIT00L]

Rember it's easier to ask Forgiveness .... than Permission..

Used on all the LION of the ...

oh never mind ...I think that line would now stick in his craw.

[Susan]

Charlie, You are a very sick person, which can be seen in your writing. I suggest you seek counseling for anger management. I hope you rot in the bay area heat today. At least I am cool.

[Charlie]

lol..So am *I* Susan! (Courtesy of Trane A/C). Sorry your boy is going up the river but, in the tradition of the ancient Romans, and even the NAZIS, the judge has given him 24 hours to do the RIGHT thing! I suggest he jump off the big orange bridge that Duane Garrett jumped off, which gave Bernie the only chance he'd have ever gotten to be on KGO prime time. But, he even blew THAT godsend!

[Brian]

Susan, I love every penny of my tax money that is going for BW's jail time. It is about time that the arrogant bully pervert gets what is coming to him. I was shocked to hear his pediatrician wife stick up for him. A pediatrician...!!!

[sfnative]

Well, Charlie, as I've repeated many times, I am no fan of his. I find him disgusting in his personal behavior. The only thing troubling about the sentence, to me, is that there is NO MANDATORY COUNSELING. (Shouted at Judge Walker.) What the hell does any judge think will happen when damaged goods such as BW, who admitted today being sexually abused "from fifth to seventh grade," is never treated, never? I think on an sfgate blog several months ago, an astute replier guessed that he had been abused as a boy. Untreated abuse survivors continue to perpetuate their toxins UNTIL THEY ARE TREATED, (Judge Walker). So whether it's minimum or max security, whether it's 5 years or 50 years, the guy will come out the same unless his long-term rage is faced. That rage was abundantly clear to KGO personnel & to listeners alike. Abuse survivors also often overeat, drink heavily, & contemplate suicide, as well as living in a state of barely suppressed rage. The blogger I mentioned also suggested that his campaign against priestly sexual abuse might have a personal connection. Clearly it did, as undoubtedly he attended Catholic schools, at a time when such abuse was fairly common. (BW mentioned "grades" not "ages" in the courtroom today.) He's not to be excused for not seeking help for his manifest problem, but rather continuing the abuse by proxy, through kiddie internet porn & his addiction to it. (Abuse survivors in general are at high-risk for addictive behaviors.) Shame on his wife for continuing the denial, even today. (It was "Bush's fault", she apparently said on KPIX.)

[Brian]

According to The Chronicle, he is going to Lompoc. So predictable. Oh well, at least it isn't going to be house arrest.

[sam]

i think he go to the big house by the bay first. i think so its the reseption center.

[scot]

Minimum security? What's with that?

[Jenn]

I feel so bad for all of this. I send Bernie and his family my thoughts. I hope Bernie will be ok.

[I don't get it]

What on earth is wrong with his wife?

He wanted to have sex with their children and she's still standing by him?

Is she mentally ill? Is there any other way to explain such grave stupidity and misguided support?

[Hw.]

He should spend all of his time that was given. What about those children's lives that he ruined for life. Yes, theirs is a LIFE SENTENCE!! He got what he deserved. No more excuses, etc., for these B.A.S.T.A.R.D.S.!!!!

[sfnative]

To: "I don't get it": I don't, either! (About the wife.) All I can assume is that, like many wives of predators, pedophiles, & other allied behaviors, she is in Denial Major -- otherwise known as the 'pre-conscious' stage. How has he been able to keep his credibility going within his family? Such people are masters of spin & propaganda; they manage to live 2 (or 3) lives: one very,very private, one false-private, one public. Now, with her remarks, I'm out of sympathy for the family as well. One day the children will have enough distance from their emotional dependency on him to see him for what he was. At that point they will feel betrayed by him (and somewhat by their defending mother), rather than betrayed by Bush or Rove.

[FRANK]

All children will be safer with Bernie behind bars.

I have a hunch that he is gonna get real real DRUNK tonight!

Justice has been served.

[Andrew Frall]

Sad. Not that he is going away, but, that this detracts from the fact that the guy gave off indication of various serious perversions WAY before he was slammed. That makes KGO as much an enabler as his weird "wife". Only in NewsomTown.

[sfnative]

I agree with you, Andrew, and because of that fact, we listeners need to send KGO a powerful message about how we will not tolerate his presence on KGO in the future.

[gerry]

He is going to cry like a little baby his first night at San Quentin Reception Center. I hope the arrogant tub of lard shit rots in jail thinking his holier than thou attitude is worth a shit in his new environment. I doubt he has the balls to off himself; let this horses' ass beef up even more on prison food. F him

[Mr Right]

Dr Halloran has been our kids pediatrian for many years and I've been bewilderd as to how this could go on in this household - after reading her statements it looks as she is as twisted as Bernie - the lair of the left

[Professor Pat]

Tonight's the night Bernie...listen to the golden span's seductive siren call...she wants you, Bernie...she needs you....she is the answer to all your problems, Bernie...so easy, so quick, so painless...don't hesitate any longer, Bernie...for tomorrow will be too late...

[the_Miker]

I used to be a sex offender until I had my self casterated. Now I have no feelings or sexual urges against children or any feelings for men or women. I am calm and it has been a blessing but it all started with naked pictures of children and went on from there.