Usually, I try to inject a little humor into the American Asshole proceedings. You know, have a little fun with the winner's assholery. You hadn't noticed, you say? Shaddup.

It's not so easy this time, though, because there's nothing funny about it. Judith Leekin is far more than an asshole, and far less than a human being.

While Michael Vick, who most certainly is an asshole (There is no provision in America for not being an asshole until proven to be one in a court of law. This is the court of assholery right here, and he's guilty as hell.) looked like a shoo-in after being nominated twice by readers, he ended up being out-assholed by Leekin. The reason, in case you didn't read it before, is right here.

Leekin, thought by her neighbors to be a kindly old lady,  was found in a house filled with people that were severly abused. There were nine of them, ranging from 15 to 27 years of age. None of them had more than a fourth grade education. They weren't allowed out of the house except for yardwork. They ate nothing but noodles, and were slowly starving. They were often bound at night and soiled themselves as a result. Many had burns. One was blind. Another can hardly walk. And she was being paid to care for every one of them.

She had established aliases with which she was able to get more children than one person would normally be allowed. She was caught when an 18 year old girl was found wandering aimlessly and told police that Leekin had abandoned her. Leekin told them that she had run away a year earlier. She was found out the next day, though. The children had been hiding from the police out of the fear that Leekin had been instilling in them for years. It's estimated that at one point, she was making $180,000 per year. You get extra for adopting "special needs" children, after all.

Now, some might think that she started seeing those checks, got dollar signs in her eyes, and went astray. I don't know any different, but that just rings untrue to me. This doesn't strike me as simple negligence. This was a deep pattern of ongoing, long term abuse. I suspect that she enjoys causing this suffering, this pain. I think she probably enjoys the power she had over these people, and found a way to profit from it. Sort of like making your hobby into a career, if you will.

So here's to you, Judith. You are, at last, getting the recognition you deserve, asshole. You violated the most basic, most important, most sacred trust that one  being can have for another.I hope you spend the rest of your life in prison, and in general population.

Then the rest of the inmates can show the esteem with which they hold people like you. That's where the justice will be done.