Strollerderby : jail

Judge Pardons Father Who Hired Prostitute for Son

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Mon, 18 May 2009 18:30:00 GMT

A 42-year-old father has been let off the hook for attempting to give his son a morally reprehensible birthday gift.

Having decided it was time for his 14-year-old son to lose his virginity, the British resident drove the boy into the red-light district and told him to pick a prostitute. Fortunately, the son accidentally picked an undercover cop, who arrested his father.

Unfortunately, the case was assigned to a judge who apparently has a screw lose. The delinquent father was handed a 10-month prison sentence, suspended for a year. His son will go on living with him. There will be no other repercussions, such as, oh I don’t know, perhaps an occasional visit by child protective services?

According to the Times, “Judge Jonathan Teare said he would spare the father a jail sentence because of his excellent character and that he believed he did not mean any harm to his son.” This reasoning is so disturbing that I can only hope Judge Teare was paid off.

Teaching his son that paying to lose his virginity is an acceptable form of sexual relations harms not only the son, but every future romantic relationship the son may engage in. The boy is only 14! Maybe he’s gay. Maybe he has an intuitive understanding—certainly not imparted to him by his father—that a fulfilling love life will never result from treating women like objects.

It is a parent’s role to teach the basic components of healthy sexual behavior to their kids. Boys in particular need to be taught to respect their sexual partners, since a 14-year-old girl is often not able to advocate for herself in the bedroom. However awkward such a conversation may seem, it’s necessary to build the foundation for healthy romantic relationships throughout a person’s life.

Photo: The Inquistr

Dad Drives Drunk With Kids In Car

Brett Singer — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 15:30:00 GMT

Jason Ryan Damos of Portland, Oregon went for a drive. Drunk. With his kids in the back seat. A police chase ensued, and eventually Damos was caught. And arrested. Charges were "reckless endangerment, hit and run, felony elude and drunken driving." ("Felony elude" is a new term to me. It has a nice ring to it.)

After being involved in a hit and run accident, Damos kept on driving, possibly hitting other cars; full details were not in the KATU report. The main thing is that he had his two children, ages 3 and 4, in the back seat while he did his version of "The Dukes of Hazzard."

How drunk was he? According to one of the arresting officers, he was "beyond intoxicated." That phrase isn't as new to me as "felony elude," but it is very descriptive.

The mother of the two children was there to take the kids after police got Damos by "getting him to spin out, in what is called a 'pit maneuver.'" Dramatic stuff. Luckily the kids are OK.

Source: KATU

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American Incest Dad Gets 109 Years In Jail

Brett Singer — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 04:55:00 GMT

Austrian Incest Dad, meet American Incest Dad.

Josef Fritzl's American counterpart, Lindolfo Thibes of Los Angeles, was sentenced to 109 years in prison for having a sexual relationship with his own daughter and fathering three children with her.

"I hope he suffers," the daughter said. "I want him to die in there in jail because that's what he did to me. He confined me." She is 29 now; her father began abusing her when she was 6. He threatened to kill her if she told anyone, and used surveillance cameras to keep track of her. Thibes physically abused her as well.

Well, I guess this time, justice was served. Horrible story but now he'll be off the streets and out of his poor daughter's life. Physically, at least.

Source: Times of India

Image: SXC

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Man Jailed For Spraying Urine On Food And Children's Books

Brett Singer — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:00:00 GMT

So. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I should never – NEVER – say "I've seen it all before." Cuz d-d-d-daddy you just ain't seen nothing yet.

Londoner Sahnoun Daifallah is an "unemployed chemist", which I believe means "pharmacist" in London language. (They talk funny over there.) He was found guilty of "four counts of contaminating goods."

What does that mean? Oh, you want to know. Don't pretend you don't.

Daifallah, who one assumes is mentally ill and rather upset about something, was walking round with "a mix of his waste in a container of weed killer concealed in a laptop bag," according to the AP. By "waste" they mean the stuff you find in diapers. The liquid kind. And the not-liquid kind as well. But mostly the liquid kind.

Why liquid? Why, the better to spray stuff with, my dears!

First began his rain of terror by, um, marking his territory at The Air Balloon pub, leaving behind a "horrendous smell," according to pub worker Kate Rochead. Before he was through, he hit the frozen french fries at one supermarket (prefers them fresh, one assumes?), the wine section at another, and then a bookstore. For reasons not discussed, he focused mostly on the children's section.

How do you pee on Pooh? That's just wrong.

Daifallah is Algerian and will likely be deported, according to the article. I mean, I'm all for potty humor, but this just isn't funny.

What will tomorrow bring? I don't know but let me say this – I'll try not to be surprised.

Source: AP via StarTribune.com

Image: Amazon

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UPDATE - Josef Fritzl Sentenced To Life In Psychiatric Institution

Brett Singer — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 01:35:00 GMT

UPDATE: Josef Fritzl has been sentenced to life in a psychiatric institution. While onthe surface this seems like justice has been served, The Scotsman says that the ruling means he could be free in 15 years if a doctor says he's been cured of whatever they decide is wrong with him. Basically, Fritzl is eligible for parole in 15 years. It's not a big chance, but it could happen. Which would be bad. The Scotsman's Stephen McGinty does say that, "It is likely...that [Fritzl] will die in prison," since he is 73 years old.

Earlier posts follow.

*-*-*-*-*

Josef Fritzl's daughter Elisabeth testified against him on Tuesday, according to CNN. Thankfully, it was by videotape. Elisabeth and the children she had as a result of her father's abuse are living in an undisclosed location with new identities.

How do you go on after something like that? I'm amazed and oddly impressed that Elisabeth has the strength to go on living, much less testify against her father. Of course, I imagine she would like nothing more than to see him go to prison for the rest of his life.

The case has become a major media event in Austria, with crowds gathering in and out of the courtroom. Press has been barred from certain parts of the trial, including Elisabeth's testimony.

*-*-*-*-*

CNN is reporting that Josef Fritzl will plead guilty to rape and incest on Monday. He will not plead guilty to charges of "murder, enslavement and assault." Fritzl's lawyer says that his client "expects to spend the rest of his life in prison." Um, yeah, that sounds right. That said, the charges he's pleading guilty to carry relatively short prison terms -- five to fifteen years for rape, one year for incest. The biggest is the murder charge, which, as discussed below, some experts think will be tough to prove. I guess it's a good thing that Fritzl will definitely be found guilty of something, although if he goes to jail for only a couple of years, that would be tragic.

Original post follows.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Josef Fritzl, the man who kept his daughter locked in the basement for more than 20 years and impregnated her multiple times, is finally going on trial.

Disturbingly, he may spend only 15 years in jail. Or less.

According to London's Times Online, the "Austrian incest monster" is about to stand trial for "murder, incest, unlawful imprisonment and enslavement." Fritzl thinks that he could receive less than 10 years in prison.

He may be right. Some lawyers feel that the murder charge, which is based on the fact that he allowed one of the children he had with his own daughter to die, won't stick. That leaves rape as the biggest charge, which under Austrian law carries a 15 year sentence. Parole, good behavior -- he could be out in five years.

I know that everyone is entitled to a defense, but the one that Fritzl and his lawyer are offering is almost as disturbing as what he did. Fritzl is "claiming that his daughter was having sex when she was barely out of her teens. She smoked. She took drugs. She drank. He wanted to save her." His lawyer, Rudolf Mayer, says of his client: "He is not a monster. He loved his daughter in his own way." The father also says that he took good care of his "captives", citing the fact that the bird he bought them lived as evidence of good air quality in their underground prison. (This is at least consistent with the insane statements he made last year.)

As a quick reminder, Fritzl kept his daughter Elisabeth in the basement, along with some of the children they had together. Three of them were allowed to live upstairs -- the "upstairs children". The cellar was equipped with soundproof walls. Elisabeth was forced to write a letter saying that she had run away and joined a cult. This was a well thought out crime. Fritzl says that he is "not normal," but that's as close as he's come to an apology.

Making matters worse, prosecutors may cut a deal that will allow Fritzl to choose the prison where he serves his short sentence. One that lets him sing in a choir and take cooking lessons. When he gets out, he wants to go back home and live with his wife.

According to the Times, many feel that this situation could have been avoided if social workers had done their jobs. That may be the case, but the idea that this monster could get off with a light jail sentence in a country club prison is horrible. Not as horrible as what he did. But it's pretty close.

Source: timesonline.co.uk

Image: BBC

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4 Year Old Brings Pot To School, School Bans Backpacks

Brett Singer — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 02:30:00 GMT

When I was young and went to summer camp, people were always amazed when I said I was from the Bronx. I remember one kid actually took two steps back when I told him. Because people from the Bronx, you know, they were scary.

Clearly those guys didn't know what they were talking about. The really dangerous kids are from Florida. The 4 year olds.

Check this out:

A 4-year-old at a Tamarac preschool caused a furor when police say he pulled a plastic bag of pot from his book bag and casually told a classmate, "That's my brother's weed."

Can you imagine? What do you say to that? How does a 4 year old even know what "weed" is? His older brother, who is 21, must have told him when he hid his baggies in junior's bookbag.

The pot, by the way, is "scheduled to be destroyed." Wouldn't want to rush into anything, guys.

Here's the funny part. The school, in a reaction that I like to call "I have a headache THEREFORE I have a brain tumor", has banned bookbags. All of them. Because clearly, the backpacks are the problem. (Dora the Explorer had no comment.)

Source: Sun Sentinel and TRB.com via DetentionSlip and ParentDish

Image: Amazon

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Mother Sets Fire to Her Daughter's Gloating Rapist

Cole Gamble — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:30:00 GMT

Antonio Cosme Velasco Soriano, 69, was sentenced to thirteen years in Spanish jail for the rape-at-knifepoint of a thirteen year old girl. Nine years into his time, Soriano was given a three day pass to return to his home town of Benejúzar and who should he run into but his victim’s mother. Reportedly Soriano taunted the mother saying, "How's your daughter?" right before entering a crowded bar.

The victim’s mother followed him.

Shortly after, the woman walked into the bar, poured a bottle of petrol over Soriano and lit a match. She watched as the flames engulfed him, before walking out.

According to a witness:

"She didn't acknowledge anyone but walked up to Soriano, who was drinking a coffee, put her hand on his shoulder and turned him round to face her.

"Then she pulled the bottle she was carrying from under her arm and began to tip it over him. At first I didn't realize what was happening, but then I smelt the petrol. I jumped up and tried to grab her, but when she struck a match I got clear.

"The petrol was in a pool around Soriano, and she threw the match into it. It ignited with a whoosh, and he screamed and staggered about covered in flames. As people rushed outside to escape the flames, she just looked at him, then turned and walked away."

Soriano suffered 60 percent burns on his body. 11 days later he was dead.

After her daughter’s attack all those years ago, it’s said the mother suffered from mental illness. When questioned by police about the encounter with the rapist, the woman claimed to recollect nothing of it.

She is currently incarcerated.

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Nanny Dumps Kids in Daycare

KeriF — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:33:00 GMT

Roxanna Patricia Villamarin seemed like the perfect nanny, until her clients found out that instead of taking their children on fun outings to the zoo, she was dumping them at another in-house daycare. Villamarin paid this unlicensed daycare provider $10 per day.

Her own salary? $16 per hour.

Now she's facing five counts of grand theft, one count of intimidating a witness and one count of annoying phone calls (is that a real crime?).

How did she do it?

Villamarin encouraged her clients with her focus on educational outings and strong opinions on child-rearing. She even offered to make organic homemade baby food for the little ones. But according to officials, Villamarin had been leaving at least five clients' children in a rundown apartment over five years.

"She would pick up the children; she would drop them off at an unlicensed daycare center. And she would pursue other goals," City Attorney Will Rivera said. Goals like working other jobs, in a farmer's market and in her family's restaurant.

Villamarin told the kids they were going to "the library," so when the kids relayed that information to their parents, no red flags were raised. But there weren't many books in "the library," a small, rundown apartment with barred windows on a busy street in East Hollywood.

I know if my kids told me their nanny was taking them to the library all the time, I'd be thrilled. But I like to think I'd ask them a little more about it. What did you read at the library? Did you go for story time? Did you see any of your friends there? Where are the books you checked out? One child told his parents he took a shower at the library. Villamarin told the parents their son was being silly, but that certainly would have given me pause. My children shouldn't be showering anywhere I'm not.

According to Villamarin, the parents deserved it. "They treat me bad, I treat them bad," she says. Among her complaints: she was underpaid, didn't receive health insurance, and was paid under the table. Did she ever raise these issues? "No, it's not my style to complain," she says.

Outsourcing her work and taking advantage of trusting parents, however, is her style.

Chicago Kids Held in Hospitals, Jails Instead of Foster Homes

Miriam Axel-Lute — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:00:00 GMT

Remember this next time you hear people arguing that we should limit who can take care of, or adopt, kids in need (or that we shouldn't build a group home in their neighborhood):

Investigations by the Chicago Tribune have found that some kids are being held in psychiatric wards, hospitals, and jails long past when they were supposed to be released because there is no where for them to go. Often when they are released, they are being sent to placements that don't meet the recommendations made for them (such as residential drug-treatment first or a home ready for special-needs kids).

These are tough-to-place kids, mostly teens, with multiple problems. But as the article so clearly points out, there are few ways to better ensure that someone's mental health and behavior issues don't get better than to essentially imprison them somewhere where they are no longer getting the services they need/serving the sentence they received. The investigation was sparked by a 14-year-old who had been in a mental hospital for 105 days, when doctors had cleared to leave after a couple weeks. She hadn't been outside or to school that whole time.

It's sad enough to not be able to find an adoptive home for a mentally ill teenager, but nowhere for her to go outside of the psych ward? That's seriously depressing.

Photo by Skelekitten.

More by this author:

Bart and Lisa Simpson Sex Ruled Child Porn

JeanneSager — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:24:00 GMT

Think you're just being funny when you make your kid's Dora doll do the nasty with GI Joe? Better be careful - an Australian man has been convicted of child porn possession for looking at pictures of cartoons Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson having sex.

A judge ruled that despite the Simpsons being both fictional and drawn, they could be considered to depict a person under Australian law. And since the Simpsons are all kids - albeit imaginary ones - well, you know where I'm heading with this. Alan John McEwan lost his appeal, and he's been forced to pay a $3,000 fine plus submit to a two-year good behavior bond.

This one really rattled me. I'm all for packing pedophiles away in prisons, but cartoon porn? Can that really be pedophilia? Let's face it, we all have that friend - you know, the one who never gets any and always talks about it (he might be a father . . .) - who likes to send the e-mails with the dirty jokes about Sesame Street characters. I vaguely remember one accompanied by crudely drawn pictures of Cookie Monster with giant blue balls - for a joke about, well, blue balls (see what I mean about not getting any?). It was far from stimulating - sexually or any other way.

But Cookie Monster, Elmo and the gang are famous for never growing up; does that make the people who drew up that forward to be something more than your garden variety perv? Are they pedophiles? How about going a step farther - let's look at every teenage boy who draws a dick on the characters in the Highlights magazine accidentally left in the high school library. Or the dad who takes his kid's Leapster alphabet toy and presses the letters "S" and "X" in rapid succession.

Or maybe they'll come and hit Babble - after all, both Cole and I posted mashups from the net last week of rap songs transposed over children's TV shows. I posted one of my personal favorites - Dora the Promiscuous Girl - no nakedness in sight, but if the genitals on fictional kids count as porn, what do you make of Dora and Timbaland?

It sounds like big brother's moving in on kid sister's toys.

Image: PopArt UK

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Woman leaves toddler in car while she goes to a bar

Brett Singer — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Although that sentence sounds like it's from some demonic Dr. Seuss rhyme, the story isn't particularly amusing.

Authorities say a Largo woman left a 2-year-old boy locked inside a car while she went into a bar.

The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office reports that customers at the St. Petersburg bar saw the child sleeping in the back seat of a white sedan with the windows rolled up and doors locked early Sunday morning. Security workers at the bar called the sheriff's office.

This next part would be funny if it didn't involve a little kid. When asked by the authorities how long she had been inside the Club 54 bar in St. Petersburg, "She told them she had only been there for about 20 minutes, but other customers claimed the woman had been there for at least an hour." I have to wonder if she somehow thinks that it would be OK to leave the kid locked in the car while she had a drink if it was only for 20 minutes. Does it make her a better or worse person that she didn't come up with a good lie, like, "I just had to use the ladies' room" or something? I guess it doesn't matter. By the way, this happened at 1:00am, in case you were wondering. Also, none of the news reports I read say that this was her son.

The woman, 29-year-old Caroline Kreitz, has been released from jail and the boy was taken by Child Protective Services.

Source: mysuncoast.com

image: metromix

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Mom finds hairy Goldilocks in 2 year old's bed

Brett Singer — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 21:00:00 GMT

I didn't want to use 'Goldilocks' because the AP story already did, but it was too funny, especially when paired with this photo. (Dude, Charles Manson called. He wants his look back.)

From the home office in Billings, Montana: "A man was charged with burglary after he allegedly broke into a home, ate cheese from the refrigerator, made a mess in a bathroom and fell asleep on a child's bed."

To sum up: a mother wakes up in the morning, goes into her young son's room, and sees Charles Manson's twin brother sleeping in the bed. She gets her husband, who gets his (unloaded) shotgun, holding it on the Helter Skelter cheese eater until the police arrive.

A Montana judge denied a request from the hairy intruder's attorney that he be released without bail. The Public Defender said that his client, Tracy Mullins, "had been receiving mental-health counseling." OH! Well, in that case, let him go! Maybe next time he won't break into someone's house, eat their cheese, and lie down for a nap in a 2 year old's bed!

Ah well. At least no one was hurt. I bet the mom had to clean up the bathroom, though. That kinda sucks.

Image/Source: Yahoo News

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Hannah Tennant-Moore — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:00:00 GMT

Whatever your worst nightmare is when you leave your kids with Grandma, it can’t be worse than this.

A 54-year-old grandmother in the Florida Keys was arrested and jailed after she was spotted driving her Lexus around a parking lot with her three-year-old granddaughter on top of it.

According to deputies, Brenda Bouschet (pictured) said “she was just giving the child some air and letting her have fun.” She also said she had one hand out the window, holding the child’s leg, and that she was driving at “snail-speed.” Bouschet seemed genuinely surprised to learn of laws requiring children to be in car seats, and, uh, not on the roof of a moving vehicle.

Although Bouschet has been released from jail, she faces child felony abuse charges. Her claims that she would never “let anything” hurt her granddaughter seem genuine, but her behavior was frighteningly reckless. What do you think? Should Grandma be let off the hook?

Photo: CBS4

Pregnant Illegal Immigrant Wrongly Jailed

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:00:00 GMT

A woman who was forced to give birth while in custody should have been released before she went into labor, according to federal policy. Juana Villegas, an illegal immigrant with no criminal record, was arrested for a traffic violation days before her due date. She went into labor while in custody, and was returned to jail immediately after the birth; she was separated from her infant son for two days and was not allowed to bring a breast pump back to jail with her.

Villegas’ treatment has raised concerns about the ways local law enforcement work with federal immigration officials to apprehend illegal immigrants. Federal immigration policy mandates that people who are arrested on non-criminal immigration violations who are pregnant, are sole caregivers, or have other humanitarian concerns be recommended for immediate release. But Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a hold on Villegas the day she was arrested, which means that she was ordered held past any local sentence. She claims that she informed officers that her baby was due in a matter of days.

Although Villegas does have a lawyer, it remains to be seen whether or not this new understanding of Villegas’ treatment will lead to a lawsuit.

Photo: BBC

Pregnant Binge Drinker Faces No Criminal Charges

Hannah Tennant-Moore — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:45:00 GMT

If there’s anything sadder than domestic violence, it’s domestic violence involving a pregnant woman and an insane quantity of booze. Last week, New Zealand police, responding to a 4 a.m. domestic violence complaint, found a heavily intoxicated woman whose partner had hit her over the head with a bottle. She was nine months pregnant, and had been drinking with her partner for eight hours straight.

The man was imprisoned on assault charges, but police were uncertain about how to deal with the mother-to-be. They considered bringing charges against her for endangering her child by binge drinking, but ultimately decided to refer the case to Child, Youth, and Family—largely because maternal substance abuse is not explicitly outlawed. In some rare cases, pregnant drinkers have been charged with attempted fetal homicide, but New Zealand, like the United States, does not criminalize the simple act of drinking while pregnant.

This recent case has New Zealand police hoping to change that. Detectives involved in the case have called for legislation banning maternal substance abuse, believing that's the best way to stop addicted mothers-to-be from endangering their fetuses. But others feel that throwing pregnant women in jail is not the answer. Furthermore, legislating pregnant women's behavior could be a slippery slope. While many pregnant women feel comfortable having a daily drink, others would never consider consuming even a drop of wine.

What do you think? Should drinking while pregnant be against the law?

Photo: The Daily Mail

Mothers Behind Bars

Erin White — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:42:00 GMT

People love to talk about how and where women should give birth. Birth without drugs is barbaric! Epidurals are evil! Do it in the tub! No, no, do it on the bed! Do it at home! Don't even think about doing it at home!

But no one ever seems to talk about giving birth in shackles.

According to this heartbreaking article by Marion Wright Edelman, President of The Children's Defense Fund, the birth experiences of incarcerated women are humiliating, lonely, and sorrowful. And while relatively few women give birth while in prison, over two-thirds of all women in jail have young children. Children who live with relatives, or are in foster care. Children who, in most cases, live more than 100 miles from where their mothers are imprisoned.

Edelman advocates for more programs like Girl Scouts Behind Bars, which allows mothers and daughters to get together for regular troop meetings. And while my own exerience with Girl Scouts sort of felt like jail, I actually think this is a really hopeful idea. She also supports programs that allow for overnight visits, sustained phone or video contact, and the creation of more nurseries to provide care for young children.

Because your mother is your mother, even when she's in jail.

photo source: Getty Images

The Great Lemonade Stand Robbery

Brett Singer — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 17:30:00 GMT

So, like, taking candy from a baby. That's generally considered a bad thing, right?

How about stealing from a lemonade stand? Steven Tryon from Terre Haute, Indiana, did just that.

The perp was chased into a nearby house where police spent 45 minutes trying to coax him outside. They did, and he will be forced to drink 10 gallons and lemonade and then be denied access to the men's room. OK, I just made that up. But it seems like an appropriate punishment, yes?

I had other jokey potential punishments in mind – being forced to change his name to Bob Q. Buttcheeks, etc. – but then I read that this is an 18-year-old who is being charged with felony robbery. So I kind of feel bad about it. Maybe he's really poor, or just screwed up in the head somehow. Of course, it's also possible that he's just a big jerk who thinks swiping $17.50 from two little kids at a lemonade stand is an okay thing to do.

Here's a video report, including a perp walk.

images and video: Wane.com

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Laughing All the Way to Jail

Jen Chaney — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:26:00 GMT

Remember that California mom who thought it was an awesome idea to give laughing gas to her son and his friends while they ditched school? Well, now she's going to spend six months in jail.

Maria Antonia Mendez pleaded guilty in April to felony child endangerment and three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child, fancy legal terms for letting your 13-year-old and his pals suck on giggle juice when they're supposed to be in algebra class. Mendez received the jail sentence earlier this week, at which time Judge Dennis McConaghy said he "can't fathom how somebody doesn't realize that's a bad thing to do." Amen, sir.

Actually, wait, there are four circumstances in which I can kinda, sorta fathom why Mendez might have thought this was a good idea, even though it's clearly not:

1. She believed she was the dentist from "Little Shop of Horrors."

2. She and the kids were watching an "According to Jim" marathon and decided nitrous oxide was the only way to make it tolerable.

3. She believed she was Dennis Hopper's character in "Blue Velvet."

4. After singing a round of "If you're happy and you know it, suck some gas," she couldn't resist sharing with everyone.

Rapper Remy Ma(ma) going to jail

Brett Singer — Thu, 15 May 2008 14:30:00 GMT

Rapper Remy Ma (née Reminisce Smith, Remy Martin) was sentenced to 8 years in jail on Wednesday for shooting Makeda Barnes Joseph in "a dispute over money." The judge in the case, Rena Uviller, told Remy that she was, "a young woman whose anger is out of control."

Her fiancée, Papoose (I thought that was a girl's name -- dude, I'm just kidding, don't kick my ass) gallantly offered to take her place, screaming, "Lock me up! Lock me up!" before being removed from the courthouse. (He also shouted, "All you want is money!" at the victim; that part wasn't all that gallant.) Apparently Papoose also showed up to see Remy the other day and brought a handcuff key with him, which caused correction officials to cancel their planned wedding at Riker's Island this weekend. If nothing else, nobody can accuse them of being dull.

Why mention this here? Because when the case was over, Remy pleaded for a lighter sentence, citing her difficult childhood -- and her 7-year-old son.

The maximum sentence was 25 years; she got 8. The judge didn't really take her mom-ness into account. However, if what television has taught me about the legal system is correct, she could be out in 3 years with good behavior.

So the question is: should being a mom factor into the length of a jail term? I mean, we're talking about a shooting. (I'm assuming that the verdict is accurate; I wasn't actually there.) Some of Remy's fans seem to believe that race played a factor in the case, but, like, she shot someone. Did I mention that?

Anyway, should the fact that someone has a child matter be considered with regard to their sentencing if they commit a crime?

image: amny.com

Dad Gets Jail Time When His Kid Fails Math Test

Kelly Mills — Wed, 14 May 2008 17:31:00 GMT

Talk about being responsible for your kids' behavior: A guy in Kentucky is serving six months in jail. Why? His daughter failed her math test and didn't get her GED. The GED was required by a previous court order, and even though his daughter is now 18 years old, the decision was rendered when she was 16, a minor. Apparently at 16 she developed a habit of skipping school.

The daughter, Brittany Gegner, who now has an eighteen-month-old child of her own, says if anyone should serve jail time, it should be her, since she failed the test. The man's ex-wife also thinks the punishment is ludicrous, and says if anyone should be in jail, it should be her, because her daughter was living with her at the time of the trouble. Before we throw everyone in jail, maybe we could get this girl some math tutoring?

Anyhow, do you think it's a fair punishment?

Did You Know Disposable Diapers Can Hold An Eight Ball of Cocaine?

makeitadouble — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:30:00 GMT

Whatever happened to baking a hacksaw blade into a birthday cake? Smuggling contraband into prisons has gotten slightly more inventive and slightly less moral since the days of hiding weapons, drugs and pornography in baked goods; although there is still a healthy market in penal complexes for Pot Brownies and Polaroids of muffin tops concealed in muffin tops. No longer is Betty Crocker the subterfuge of choice for narcotics and other penitentiary currency, that slot is now occupied by the least likely of delivery methods: Babies.

It appears that inmates are getting creative in the ways they sneaking their illicit goods by the security guards. More increasingly children are being used as mules to transport unlawful objects including cocaine and crystal meth into prisons and this is encouraged by the practice of not searching kids before visitations. This discovery is resulting in stricter security measures and searching practices in many prisons.

“Federal penitentiaries are awash in drugs," said Gord Robertson a security guard union representative "We have an opportunity here to protect the most vulnerable of society's members, its children, while stopping sources of drugs in our prisons”

Convicts however are outraged at the increased measures claiming that families do not deserve to be “mugged at the gate” before visiting. Here’s an idea, if you don’t want your family patted down then stop committing crimes. My family goes months without being patted down and when they are it’s usually because I’m looking for the remote to the television which I almost always find tucked into my oldest son’s sock.

That being said, if I was incarcerated I’d probably step down off my pedestal long enough for a pack of Marlboros to be smuggled in to me using my youngest child’s diaper; that is if it meant my cellmate wouldn’t stick me with a shiv between the ribs in the laundry room. Kind of like Clue: The Inmate Version. I might draw the line at asking my kids to swallow balloon animals filled with heroin, but prison changes a man; from what I hear. Shit who am I to judge, I’ve used a diaper bag to smuggle McDonalds into the movies; and I’ll tell you those theater ushers frisk worse than any prison guard.

Vaccinate or Go to Jail

Karen Murphy — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 12:26:00 GMT

Parents of about 2300 Maryland schoolkids face fines and possible jail time if they fail to show up to court tomorrow because they have failed to vaccinate their kids. The kids themselves will have to witness their parents being lectured to/yelled at by a judge, and the kids won't be able to leave the courthouse until they've been vaccinated.

My 11-year old was just looking over my shoulder just now, which prompted an interesting discussion during which we looked up (for his benefit) the word "draconian". I've told you before where I stand on vaccinations for my kids, but hello? This is ridiculous.

Now, admittedly, I'm unclear as to whether the recalcitrant parents were given the opportunity to submit waivers based on religious or medical exemptions. Those exist in many states (though not offering a third option of "I just don't want to vaccinate, thank you anyway" has caused some parents to—gasp—lie about those religious exemptions), and Maryland appears to offer the religious exemption option. And the wayward parents appear to have been asked several times to submit proof of vaccination for the required shots, which in this case were for Hepatitis B and varicella for kids in grades 5-10. Either the proof of the vaccination or an appointment to do so had to be submitted by September 20 or the kids would have to stay home, or the parents could sign consent to have the kids vaccinated at school. But these 2300 kids, representing less than 2% of the total kids in the district, have been continuing to attend school despite not having met any of the conditions imposed upon their parents, and as a result if the parents don't show up tomorrow they face a fine and up to 10 days in jail.

Harsh.

Supposedly, about 95% of kids across the US are vaccinated, largely due to school-district requirements that they be immunized before attending school. Oh yeah. Those "immunization schedules"? Quite convenient for schools, aren't they, requiring that the majority of the shots be given by age 6? I imagine there is a correlation, if only to provide a more concrete motivation to get parents in gear to vaccinate their kids.

But the less-than-2% rate in Prince George's county, Maryland, is quite a bit less than the average unvaccinated rate. Are they aiming for a complete 100%? No Child Left Unvaccinated? Seems unlikely.

I'm not debating the need or efficacy or potential danger of immunizing or not immunizing. Again, I've made my position clear about that (which is, I have reservations and strong ones but I'm immunizing my kids anyway, a complete 180 from the past 8 years or so). But berating the parents in front of the kids? Tying them down (so to speak) and administering shots in a courtroom? Jail time for those who don't agree? Something tells me there's more to the story here, more than a story about a handful of parents who forget to fill out forms.

Kids Ticketed for Jaywalking; Parents Irate

Karen Murphy — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 21:29:00 GMT

I'm a jaywalker. I'm one of those people who takes their lives in their hands and crosses the street willy-nilly, darting out from between parked cars. Crosswalks? Faugh! But I live in a low-traffic area in semi-rural Pennsylvania. If I lived in Teaneck, NJ and I was eleven years old, I might be rethinking that right now.

Especially after my classmates are getting ticketed, thrown into the backs of police cars, and taken back to school in disgrace.

About six students from Thomas Jefferson Middle School received $54 tickets and a free ride in a police cruiser, to be returned to school so their parents could be contacted.

So while there likely is more to the story than meets the eye, I'm having trouble imagining any situation involving an eleven-year-old and jaywalking that requires being stuffed into the back of a police car like a criminal. Even the city's Deputy Mayor thinks the punishment was severe: "I think there's something seriously wrong with giving tickets to 11-year-olds."

I couldn't have said it better.

Dysfunctional Parent? Live in England? Go To Jail!

Karen Murphy — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 17:47:00 GMT

According to this BBC news blurb, The Health Minister from Jersey (that's "old" Jersey) has stated that "if parents neglected or exposed their children to harm, laws which already exist should be enforced", stating further that the definition of dysfunctional includes emotional abuse, and that he believes that a strong and real threat of imprisonment would curb such behavior in irresponsible, cruel, and neglectful parents.

I especially love this quote (and anything that includes the word "whilst"): "If a couple with young children, having received extensive support from social services, the alcohol and drugs service and very often the forbearance of the courts, are still discovered in a drug-enforced stupor whilst children crawl on the floor amongst broken bottles, rotting pizza boxes, cigarette ends and used heroin needles, then imprisonment may be the necessary measure."

It's about time somebody got serious about protecting the children. Of course, the devil's advocate and the libertarian in me does worry that this could be taken too far (think about California's "Three Strikes" law), but on the whole? A step in the right direction.