Abusive mother story - Weak Sentence?

[micro 0]

She only gets 2 to 6. Is it enough? Can the judge/did the judge consider the long term effects of such abuse on the kids? Good thing I'm no judge...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/09/14/food.abuse.ap/index.html

I miss Lee.
And JP.
And Chris. And...

[Frenchy68 0]

"Critchfield was sentenced to the maximum possible term Wednesday after pleading guilty to two counts of felony child neglect with injury".
Looks like the judge sentenced her to the extent of his ability. As a member of the judicial system, he can only apply what the legislative allows him to use. Me think.

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[Richards 0]

Sad. Hopefully the kids can still have a chance at normal lives.

Richards

My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

[Lindsey 0]

Seems like they could've come up with more appropriate charges then. I think that's a ridiculously weak sentence.

linz

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[Frenchy68 0]

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Seems like they could've come up with more appropriate charges then. I think that's a ridiculously weak sentence.

linz

But if I am not mistaken, it is not up to the judge to decide on what charges should be brought up against an individual. That would be the prosecution's job. The judge can only rule on what is being put before him/her.

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

[Lindsey 0]

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Seems like they could've come up with more appropriate charges then. I think that's a ridiculously weak sentence.

linz

But if I am not mistaken, it is not up to the judge to decide on what charges should be brought up against an individual. That would be the prosecution's job. The judge can only rule on what is being put before him/her.

right. Seems like there are bound to be other charges that could be brought against someone who makes children gorge themselves on food and then forces them to eat their vomit....and all those other things she did to them. Just seems like a neglect charge is a little on the light side.

linz

--
A conservative is just a liberal who's been mugged. A liberal is just a conservative who's been to jail

[Andy9o8 2]

Criminal charges are ultimately filed by the DA's office, not the judge. I haven't taken the time to research this particular story, but from my own experience it's highly likely that the DA's office originally charged the mother with several counts of multiple offenses, some more serious than the felony neglect charge, and that her guilty plea to a single charge of felony neglect was part of a plea bargain in exchange for dropping the rest of the charges and avoiding going through about a 5 to 10 day long jury trial in which the children might have had to undergo the trauma of having to testify in order to make out the elements of the offenses. Any scrutiny as to the reasonableness of the plea deal should probably focus on the DA's office. That being said, you should know that plea bargains are made by balancing all interests, and not just satisfying peoples' raw emotions.

[Cudlo 0]

They made a deal and/or went with charges they were sure would stick instead of more serious charges that they might (albeit unlikely) lose.

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