As Crystal Would Say "Wow Just Wow"

[nannyde]

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2018/08/27/ankeny-mom-whose-baby-died-asphyxiation-sentenced-probation/1114786002/

[amberrose3dg]

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...on/1114786002/

[Michael]

While I feel she should have gotten a 5 year prison sentence, if she showed true remorse in her understanding of the consequences of her drug addiction, then I see no greater punishment then her losing her child. If she doesn't stay clean, then she goes to jail for the original charges. Although I think her light sentence won't change her from making bad, dangerous decisions.

[nannyde]

While I feel she should have gotten a 5 year prison sentence, if she showed true remorse in her understanding of the consequences of her drug addiction, then I see no greater punishment then her losing her child. If she doesn't stay clean, then she goes to jail for the original charges. Although I think her light sentence won't change her from making bad, dangerous decisions.

I have a hard time with the consequence of her loosing her child being considered as a portion of due punishment.

I don't think a parent should be charged any differently in the death or life altering injury of a child than a total stranger would be if said stranger c omitted the exact same act.

I think this mindset allows parents take dangerous risks with their child with confidence that because they are their child they can.

If this was any other non related caregiver they would be charged with murder. The baby is dead. It shouldn't matter the relationship with the caregiver.

She also had the extra abuse of breastfeeding a baby with coca in and weed in her system. Cocaine passes the placental barrier quickly and weed remains in the fat cells for a long time.




I wonder if she drove under the influence and killed her baby would the fact that she was punished enough with the loss of her child be taken into consideration in her sentencing?

I see this so much with positional asphyxiation. At some point we have to have the same expectation on proper placement in sleep as proper placement in car seats.

[Josiegirl]

Yes, even without the resulting death, that baby having cocaine in her system from a drug addicted mother, is cause enough for her to do jail time, IMO.
Losing a child is definitely a lifelong punishment but what if she's not remorseful? What if she goes on to have more children, only to have the same thing happen? What if....a hundred scenarios? And what if she gets off with a slap on the wrist? As opposed to doing jail time?
When is the government (OR SOMEONE????) going to step in and tell parents it's absolutely NOT okay to let your baby sleep with you, or in a car seat, etc.? Sure, we're all warned about it but then you have parents who feel bad when their child cries, so they're brought into bed to nurse and the parent falls asleep. Denial of such a thing ever happening to them can be deadly, even without cocaine in their system.

[amberrose3dg]

I have a hard time with the consequence of her loosing her child being considered as a portion of due punishment.

I don't think a parent should be charged any differently in the death or life altering injury of a child than a total stranger would be if said stranger c omitted the exact same act.

I think this mindset allows parents take dangerous risks with their child with confidence that because they are their child they can.

If this was any other non related caregiver they would be charged with murder. The baby is dead. It shouldn't matter the relationship with the caregiver.

She also had the extra abuse of breastfeeding a baby with coca in and weed in her system. Cocaine passes the placental barrier quickly and weed remains in the fat cells for a long time.




I wonder if she drove under the influence and killed her baby would the fact that she was punished enough with the loss of her child be taken into consideration in her sentencing?

I see this so much with positional asphyxiation. At some point we have to have the same expectation on proper placement in sleep as proper placement in car seats.

If someone else did this they would be in jail a long time. That shouldn't matter. The mom had a duty to protect her child. I'm sorry but drugs are not an excuse. I get tired of hearing about addicts getting a break cause they cannot help it. Start throwing them in jail for the crime they commit which is murder and maybe it will be a wake up call to them to sober up.

[Pestle]

I know a family whose child came from a drug addicted parent. It has changed my perspective on jail time for drug use, because the child thrived when the mom was locked away and couldn't yank her chain during the supervised visits.

However, hard drugs can completely destroy a person's ability to reason. They can completely destroy a parent's ability to prioritize anyone, including their own child, over the next hit. Once they have made that first or willful choice to take the drugs, their ability to act under their own will is drastically diminished. Jail time/prison do not work as a deterrent in those cases. It's like expecting an infant to respond to threats of time out. Thei rdamaged brain simply doesn't work that way any more.

[daycarediva]

If someone else did this they would be in jail a long time. That shouldn't matter. The mom had a duty to protect her child. I'm sorry but drugs are not an excuse. I get tired of hearing about addicts getting a break cause they cannot help it. Start throwing them in jail for the crime they commit which is murder and maybe it will be a wake up call to them to sober up.

This. I am soooo sick of 'drug addiction is a disease' mentality. Drugs have destroyed my family (not immediate, extended). Why? Choice. You don't just wake up addited to heroin, you KNEW the risks and CHOSE to do that.

She murdered her child. Life without the possibility of parole, the end. Let her mourn in prison.

[amberrose3dg]

This. I am soooo sick of 'drug addiction is a disease' mentality. Drugs have destroyed my family (not immediate, extended). Why? Choice. You don't just wake up addited to heroin, you KNEW the risks and CHOSE to do that.

She murdered her child. Life without the possibility of parole, the end. Let her mourn in prison.

This!
I have kids in my care that have moms like this!
One kid is so violent and has issues at school. I do not have those issues here but he is only with me an hour or so a day. His mom is a piece of crap that lost her custody ,dad has him. She gets back unsupervised visits and guess what happens on the very first visit? His glasses are broken and he has bruises all up and down his arms where she grabbed him and assaulted him. I feel bad for these kids that are repeatedly subjected to this walking trash simply because they share DNA!

[amberrose3dg]

I know a family whose child came from a drug addicted parent. It has changed my perspective on jail time for drug use, because the child thrived when the mom was locked away and couldn't yank her chain during the supervised visits.

However, hard drugs can completely destroy a person's ability to reason. They can completely destroy a parent's ability to prioritize anyone, including their own child, over the next hit. Once they have made that first or willful choice to take the drugs, their ability to act under their own will is drastically diminished. Jail time/prison do not work as a deterrent in those cases. It's like expecting an infant to respond to threats of time out. Thei rdamaged brain simply doesn't work that way any more.

Well they need to be locked away to protect people from them! Most of the violent crimes you hear about are addicts. They do not get a pass on a crime that a person that isn't on drugs would be convicted of. They usually have nothing left to offer society other then pain and suffering.

[Meeko]

This. I am soooo sick of 'drug addiction is a disease' mentality. Drugs have destroyed my family (not immediate, extended). Why? Choice. You don't just wake up addited to heroin, you KNEW the risks and CHOSE to do that.

She murdered her child. Life without the possibility of parole, the end. Let her mourn in prison.

I too get tired of the "disease" excuse.

You have no choice in getting a disease. Taking illegal drugs always begins with a choice.

[Pestle]

I agree that drugs are a choice and that drug users are a danger to their nearest and dearest. I'm just arguing that jail time as a deterrent is a nonstarter, because the very people doing drugs are too brain-addled to contrast their desire for drugs with their desire not to be in jail.

[mommyneedsadayoff]

I'm on the fence when it comes to drug addiction. The few people I know who are addicted started on prescription pain pills. The alcoholics started as kids and young teens. There is a lot of choice in life, but I'm not sure it's so black and white when it comes to addiction. That being said, there is always a consequence to life's choices. They were responsible for their baby's death. The consequence should be more than a few years of probation. Whether it's more jail time, or participation in rehabilitation programs, or youth awareness programs, the consequence should be a daily reminder of what happened to their child and how they played a major role in it. I'm not saying they will forget, but if allowed to go back to the the same environment of drug use, their addiction will allow them to forget. Probably until they die from an overdose. It's just sad all the way around.

[Ariana]

Her sentence is based on her actions AFTER the baby died and the circumstances surrounding her death. It was an accident (as in NOT murder as it is legally defined) and she showed remorse by doing CPR and calling 911 immediately. This was a stupid mom who was making stupid decisions because she was a drug addict and her baby paid the price...however laws are set up in such a way to offer possible rehabilitation for people they feel deserve it. They see the work she has done and they feel she has changed.

A paid daycare provider likely would have been charged with manslaughter since you are employed to not take drugs when taking care of kids...therefore it is not deemed an accident under those circumstances.

[MomBoss]

I have a hard time with the consequence of her loosing her child being considered as a portion of due punishment.

I don't think a parent should be charged any differently in the death or life altering injury of a child than a total stranger would be if said stranger c omitted the exact same act.

I think this mindset allows parents take dangerous risks with their child with confidence that because they are their child they can.

If this was any other non related caregiver they would be charged with murder. The baby is dead. It shouldn't matter the relationship with the caregiver.

She also had the extra abuse of breastfeeding a baby with coca in and weed in her system. Cocaine passes the placental barrier quickly and weed remains in the fat cells for a long time.




I wonder if she drove under the influence and killed her baby would the fact that she was punished enough with the loss of her child be taken into consideration in her sentencing?

I see this so much with positional asphyxiation. At some point we have to have the same expectation on proper placement in sleep as proper placement in car seats.

Im not sure how I feel about this situation. The difference between the death of a child with a caregiver vs parent is that a caregiver, if legally licensed, has to have training on safe sleep. If a child dies with a caregiver they were being neglegent on purpose. A parent is not required to take classes and therefore may not know better. Also with the cocaine passing into breastmilk. It may be common sense to us, but nobody teaches new parents these things. I definantely believe she should be charged for possesion of drugs/intent to sell. But anything related to her baby, really could have been just an accident...
Just my opinion!!!