Foster mother found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in death ofboy, 4

Foster mother found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in death of boy, 4

http://www.boston.com/news/local/bre..._mother_f.html

November 16, 07 04:23 PM

By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff

A foster mother accused of causing the death of Dontel Jeffers was found
guilty today of involuntary manslaughter for not immediately seeking
medical attention after the 4-year-old was severely beaten.

Corinne N. Stephen, 25, had been charged with second-degree murder but
was convicted of the lesser charge after the Suffolk Superior Court jury
deliberated for two days. Prosecutors did not present any evidence
during the seven-day trial that Stephen directly abused Dontel. Instead,
Assistant Suffolk District Attorney David Deakin argued that she should
be held responsible for Dontel's death because she refused to seek
medical help even though she knew he was in so much pain she gave him
massive dose of Tylenol with codeine.

Stephen stood motionless and did not react as the jury read its verdict.
She was taken into custody and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 5 by
Superior Court Judge Margaret Hinkle. Her attorney, John F. Palmer,
vowed to appeal, saying before the verdict that the judge erred by
telling the jury that failing to do something can be constituted as a
malicious act.

Dontel's grandmother, Agatha Jeffers, and other family members shook
their heads after the verdict and whispered among themselves. They
declined to comment, but did not seem happy.

Dontel was healthy when he was entrusted to Stephen�s care on Feb. 24,
2005. Ten days later, she brought his body to Caritas Carney Hospital
with a black eye, ruptured intestine, bruised throat, bruised arms, and
ligature marks around his wrists and ankles. Doctors at Caritas tried
for 40 minutes to revive the child, but were unsuccessful.

Palmer, the defense attorney, argued that investigators failed to search
hard enough for the real killer and accused police and prosecutors of
not conducting crucial forensic tests on physical evidence that could
have identified other people who had contact with Dontel. Palmer told
the jury during in his closing argument that Stephen was an unlikely
killer because she served in the Army National Guard, had taken college
level nursing courses, and drove the boy to the hospital the day he died.







CURRENTLY CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES VIOLATES MORE CIVIL RIGHTS ON A
DAILY BASIS THEN ALL OTHER AGENCIES COMBINED INCLUDING THE NSA / CIA
WIRETAPPING PROGRAM....

CPS Does not protect children...
It is sickening how many children are subject to abuse, neglect and even
killed at the hands of Child Protective Services.

every parent should read this .pdf from
connecticut dcf watch...

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com/8x11.pdf

http://www.connecticutdcfwatch.com

Number of Cases per 100,000 children in the US
These numbers come from The National Center on
Child Abuse and Neglect in Washington. (NCCAN)
Recent numbers have increased significantly for CPS

*Perpetrators of Maltreatment*

Physical Abuse CPS 160, Parents 59
Sexual Abuse CPS 112, Parents 13
Neglect CPS 410, Parents 241
Medical Neglect CPS 14 Parents 12
Fatalities CPS 6.4, Parents 1.5

Imagine that, 6.4 children die at the hands of the very agencies that
are supposed to protect them and only 1.5 at the hands of parents per
100,000 children. CPS perpetrates more abuse, neglect, and sexual abuse
and kills more children then parents in the United States. If the
citizens of this country hold CPS to the same standards that they hold
parents too. No judge should ever put another child in the hands of ANY
government agency because CPS nationwide is guilty of more harm and
death than any human being combined. CPS nationwide is guilty of more
human rights violations and deaths of children then the homes from which
they were removed. When are the judges going to wake up and see that
they are sending children to their death and a life of abuse when
children are removed from safe homes based on the mere opinion of a
bunch of social workers.


CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES, HAPPILY DESTROYING THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT
FAMILIES YEARLY NATIONWIDE AND COMING TO YOU'RE HOME SOON...


BE SURE TO FIND OUT WHERE YOUR CANDIDATES STANDS ON THE ISSUE OF
REFORMING OR ABOLISHING CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES ("MAKE YOUR CANDIDATES
TAKE A STAND ON THIS ISSUE.") THEN REMEMBER TO VOTE ACCORDINGLY IF THEY
ARE "FAMILY UNFRIENDLY" IN THE NEXT ELECTION...