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Grandmother convicted of capital murder for the death of her granddaughter

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http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/03/joyce_garrard_verdict.html#incart_2box

Read the article. She forced the girl to run as punishment for lying about eating candy bars on the school bus, so she ran for more than 3 hours before collapsing.

Does the capital murder charge fit the crime? Anybody? Personally, I'd like to see her fry for having the gall to run a 9 year old to death, even if she didn't think the girl would die.

I just can't see how they charged her with C.M. and that a jury agreed.

I'm sure there will be an appeal. As is it now, the penalty phase begins Monday.
There will be no addressing the customers as "Bitches", "Morons" or "Retards"!

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I always thought that "murder" required an intent to kill, either planned (first degree) or spur of the moment (second degree). I also thought that doing something that unintentionally resulted in someone's death was manslaughter, or criminal negligence depending on how foreseeable it was that the action was likely to be lethal. However, I see cases like this all the time in the news where there was obviously no intent to kill, yet the defendant is charged with murder.

We had a similar case in my town a few years ago: parents punished their kid (who had been suspended from school for stealing) by spanking with a belt. Unfortunately the kid was quite obese, and the dad spanked him hard enough to break a blood vessel in the kids butt, and a piece of fat dislodged, got into the blood vessel, lodged in the kids lung and killed him. Clearly dad way overdid the spanking, but also clearly dad did not intend to kill his son. Nevertheless both mom (who also participated in the spanking) and dad were charged with capital murder and the prosecution sought the death penalty. They were convicted and sentenced to life without parole.

On the other hand, if you're rich enough you can shoot your neighbor, cut up his body and dump it in the bay, and then get away with it by claiming "self defense".

I think some of these cases come about because of the politics of running for office; if you don't jack up charges on cases like this, the next election your opponent will accuse you of being a "baby killer lover". I've never liked the idea of prosecutors or judges being an elected office; the judicial system should be completely divorced from politics.

Don
_____________________________________
Tolerance is the cost we must pay for our adventure in liberty. (Dworkin, 1996)
“Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire.” (Yeats)

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Damn, that lady reminds me of the Goonies:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx78clEWFwA&feature=player_detailpage#t=4


Poor girl...

I was about her age when when that navy seals movie came out...we were all gung-ho about becoming navy seals. I found a seal training manual with my dad's Navy stuff, so we figured we'd get a head start. It said to run 5 miles in 25 minutes. I pushed myself so hard, but finished in 30 minutes - I was so over heated and shaking uncontrollably...I couldn't imagine doing that for 3 hours.

It's hard to think that a grandmother would want to intentionally kill her grandchild, but if if the punishment didn't end in a half hour, hour, 2 hours, 2 and a half hours? 3 hours?!?! - you have to wonder if she ever intended for her to stop...

The evil part of me says that a just punishment would be to run this old hag until SHE collapses, but there is no way I could just stand by and let a person suffer like that...so how could she just stand by and do this to her own flesh and blood?

Is it just pure evil? A lack of empathy/sympathy? Or is it just stupidity/ignorance?
Never was there an answer....not without listening, without seeing - Gilmour

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Don, I do agree that those who pursue charges in the name of justice, should not do it for political gain nor should they let politics cloud their decisions.

However, I do see a pattern of parents being punished harshly for the deaths of their children at their own hands even if unintentionally. They are supposed to be their children's protectors, comforters, teachers, etc. So I can see how over-punishment causes a kid's death makes the D.A. office want to hang them, so to speak.

I'd want to look at sentencing guidelines for cases like these though just to verify the pattern.

I'd say extreme indifference manslaughter, but a 9 year old died. A 9 year old that couldn't defend herself or know when to say enough is enough. Very emotionally charged case for sure.
There will be no addressing the customers as "Bitches", "Morons" or "Retards"!

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I didn't know all the specifics of the case until just now... Wow... There were circumstances that led to prosecutors seeking capital murder charges.

http://www.al.com/news/anniston-gadsden/index.ssf/2015/03/what_happened_in_the_yard_to_s.html#incart_river

What a biiiiiiitch. >:(

There will be no addressing the customers as "Bitches", "Morons" or "Retards"!

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ryoder

The old bitch found a way to get out of prison before she even served a year.>:(

http://news.yahoo.com/alabama-woman-convicted-girls-running-death-dies-001601007.html



Cheaper than the death penalty.
I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

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Quote

Is it just pure evil? A lack of empathy/sympathy? Or is it just stupidity/ignorance?



Or sadly a real disconnect from reality which we see so much these days in all walks of life. This case is truly a tragedy in so many ways. But I do agree that there is evil in the world, - people that are simply wired wrong.

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tkhayes

Quote

Is it just pure evil? A lack of empathy/sympathy? Or is it just stupidity/ignorance?



Or sadly a real disconnect from reality which we see so much these days in all walks of life. This case is truly a tragedy in so many ways. But I do agree that there is evil in the world, - people that are simply wired wrong.



This people shouldn't own h=guns OR drops zones.
I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

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