Baby falls and dies after mother is pushed by father in domestic dispute

[teachableseconds]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/1686497,stng-babyincarseat-dead0727.article




I wonder how he felt after he realized that by shoving the mother, she lost her balance?:cry:

[BlooInBloo]

1. If you commit arson, and somebody dies in the fire, you're up for murder charges...

Wonder if the same idea would apply here.

[ccharles000]

8. I would hope so

[ingac70]

2. If he has no problem kicking the mother...

I seriously doubt he really gave two shits about the kid, and is only crying in hopes he gets off lightly.

Scumbag.

[JonQ]

3. Are they going to try him for that?

Seems like they should.

[teachableseconds]

4. I have been looking for a followup on the story and so far haven't found one.

No, he definitely would be liable for charges, I would think. Hell, they put people in jail for accidentally leaving their kid in the car, don't they, and that's not even malicious intent!

[Fire1]

6. Depending upon the age of the child and heat index, it can be

considered 'malicious intent.'

[teachableseconds]

7. That's nuts! Intent means that the parent knew what s/he was doing and the kid died as a result.

I was referring to when a parent goes to work and forgets the baby, not when they are at the casino and deliberately leave the baby in a car. The punishment is that they know it was their fault the baby died.

My question about this case is how the father felt when this happened. He knew Mom was carrying the newborn and kicked her.

[Fire1]

10. Glad you cleared that up. But legally in this state just the

parents knowing they killed their child doesn't cut it. No parent would get off that easy here.

[teachableseconds]

11. Our laws are misguided. I am totally against punishing people

for their carelessness when they leave a child in a car during the harried morning rush. It is just cruel to put them in jail for something they are in agony about already. Leave the room in jail for the people who knowingly kill their children because their latest boyfriend doesn't want kids around or they beat them to death for wetting their pants.

*This crime does not fall into the 'accidental' category, by the way, because Daddy knew that Mommy had the baby and decided he wanted to kick her.

[Fire1]

14. Accidentally leaving a kid at home would certainly be

investigated IF reported to an agency such as Child Protective Services. They would determine if it was neglect or a one time thing.
Charging a parent for a criminal act would only apply if there is injury or death as a result of neglect.

[provis99]

9. I think in most states,

If you kill someone in the process of committing another felony, that guarantees a murder charge, and probably sets you up as a prime candidate for the death penalty. Such as killing a person while committing a robbery, or as in this case, killing an infant while assaulting the mother.

[mamaleah]

13. I would hope so

In the process of assaulting someone if you kill someone, one would hope you'd get thrown in prison for that.

[aikoaiko]

5. Kicking someone in the back down a set of 3rd floor open stairs should definitely count as a felony

The "push" in the thread title is a bit of an understatement.

I don't know about MD law, but if they have felony murder, this guy should qualify.

[pipi_k]

12. People are just too fucking stupid

Alright, not that hitting a woman is excusable under any circumstances, but why oh why oh why do I see all the time where some woman who's having a fight with her husband or boyfriend and she's holding a baby...

What...does she think that holding a baby is going to keep him from hitting or kicking her???

And this idiot...

she knows there's going to be trouble so she brings two men with her. Instead of leaving the poor baby with a friend or relative, she goes up into the apartment with him. At the very LEAST, the poor thing is going to be subjected to a lot of yelling and screeching and foul language from the "adults".

Instead, the kid is dead because his fucking stupid ass mother didn't think she should leave the kid out of it.


It's always the kids who suffer the consequences of being born to assholes.

[FirstLight]

15. Um, maybe instinct...?

I have lived in domestic violence with my ex and during some of the fights it was instinct to hold the baby to PROTECT the CHILD...

it may make very little sense to the rational mind but when in the situation, the instinct is to cover the child wth your body and hold them close so they can't hear or he can't pick them up and run or whatever ...

One fight I was sitting on the couch, had just finished feeding the baby so she was still in arms & I held her close to muffle his screaming, he took a hammer and smashed his wedding ring on the kitchen counter behind the couch less than a foot away from both our heads...
again, no rational reason why i kept her in my arms...just instinct to hold her close to my breast

(good thing we are 5 years gone and the asshole got himself thrown in prison on something else so we are safe for a while longer)


judge not....