Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Probation for Mom in Toddler Cult Death

Said prosecutor Julie Drake, "Ria and her child were just pawns in the Queen's fantasy world"
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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Forget the lead paint defense...use the "g*d made me do it" defense. When is Judge Doory on the ballot again?

Wed Apr 21, 07:22:00 PM EDT
Cham said...

I don't know about this one. Although I wasn't at the trial and I didn't hear all the evidence, I'm going, "Huh????"

Wed Apr 21, 08:15:00 PM EDT
ppatin said...

"When is Judge Doory on the ballot again?"

The sentence was the result of a plea agreement, not much that the judge can do about that.

Thu Apr 22, 06:51:00 AM EDT
Anonymous said...

The judge does not have to abide by the plea agreement. Judge's always have discretion on sentencing.

Thu Apr 22, 02:31:00 PM EDT
ppatin said...

Anon:

Can you imagine what would happen to the court system in this city if judges started rejecting plea agreements? It would collapse under the weight of cases.

This is an issue everywhere in the country, although it's particularly acute in a broke, crime-ridden city like Baltimore. Our judicial system is insanely cumbersome and inefficient, and we've managed to turn a criminal trial into one of the most unnecessarily complex fact-finding mechanisms in human history. The result is that it's necessary for most cases to be dealt with through plea bargaining. It sucks and it leads to a system where scum get away with light sentences and the occasional defendant who's genuinely innocent will probably be railroaded into a plea, but it's also the system that judges have to work in. Blame the damned lawyers and appellate judges who made the system as cumbersome as it is, or the State's Attorney's Office which chose to offer this pathetic plea in the first place.

Thu Apr 22, 02:44:00 PM EDT
ppatin said...

It's worth remembering that Timothy Doory used to be the city's chief homicide prosecutor. He certainly isn't some bleeding-heart former public defender.

Thu Apr 22, 02:49:00 PM EDT
John Galt said...

Flash:

two offenders arrested this afternoon in connection with the murder at Yau Bros. carryout on Greenmount.

Thu Apr 22, 05:05:00 PM EDT
Guardian said...

Man, I just don't agree with such a lite sentence for this woman. She starved her son to death. Regardless of if someone told her to do it or not, she did it. I think a life sentence should be the minimum. GuardianSelfDefense

Sun Apr 25, 10:49:00 PM EDT
Cham said...

Guardian:

I've already had a long discussion about this case on another board. It is my position that with an American culture many people feel that the demeanor of women should be compromising, compliant, kind, sweet and agreeable. The mother of this child did an excellent job fulfilling her womanly role while she lived with the cult. The only problem was that in the process of being so womanly and likable, she was present as her son was starved and agreed with the others in the household to withhold food from him. At any point she had the power and ability to stop what was happening. The prosecutor was so impressed with this woman that the woman was able to walk. If the defendant was a man the sentence would be vastly different. If the defendant was a much more aggressive woman who had exhibited a stronger personality the sentence would have been very different. The mother played the Baltimore judicial system like a violin. She should have hung from the rafters.

Mon Apr 26, 11:26:00 AM EDT

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