Deseret News | Reader comments: Mom shouldn't be charged

Reader comments
Readers' forum: Mom shouldn't be charged

so very sad | 1:09 a.m. July 6, 2008

I cannot think of a punishment more severe or harsh than having a lifetime to live with the guilt of your mistake that silenced the life of your own flesh and blood. I agree with the author that the woman who is subject of this letter will need forgiveness and empathy-not jail. There is no pain or punishment that could equal this woman's suffering. There is no "example" that needs to be made here.

Shame | 7:40 a.m. July 6, 2008

"Shame on Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings for charging Kamilyn Hadley with negligent homicide in the accidental death of her 5-month-old son, Daniel."
How about shame on Kamilyn?
You can't tell me people are ignorant of the dangers of leaving kids in cars. If they are, maybe they shouldn't have kids.
If I kill a baby by forgetting to feed it, is that any less of a crime? killing a baby is criminal.

Roscoe | 8:22 a.m. July 6, 2008

You can't selectively enforce the law. Just because the victim was a child of the mother in question, it doesn't make her any less negligent or the child any less dead. This mother should suffer - what she did was unconscionable.

Comments continue below

Confused | 9:38 a.m. July 6, 2008

If I understand this correctly... leave a baby in the car until it dies and face no jail because "that's punishment enough". If the child had survived, but severely injured, would that be enough too? When does jail kick in?

The law is on the books for a reason.

weezie | 10:18 a.m. July 6, 2008

I admire Troy Rawlins for doing his job in an honorable way. This was handled in the way it should have been. Thank you Mr. Rawlins

Karen | 10:33 a.m. July 6, 2008

The mother might not receive a severe sentence, but Mr. Rawlins was right to charge her with her crime. Cars are not safe places for children to be alone! Too many parents forget that simple fact, and when a child suffers because of that neglect, the parent should be held accountable publicly!

Kudos to Troy Rawlins!

Derek | 11:09 a.m. July 6, 2008

The decision to prosecute is not about punishment, as much as it is about deterring future incidents of parents leaving children in their cars.

Unfortunate but necessary | 12:10 p.m. July 6, 2008

As a parent myself, my heart goes out to the mother and her family. However, her relationship to the decedent, as the mother, does not negate her responsibilities in answering for the unnecessary death.

While, at first, I was inclined to agree with those who advocated no charges, I ultimately could not overcome the fact this lady left her child in the car for two hours. Surely, at some point during those two hours, she thought to herself, "where is my child?" If she consciously chose to not tend to her child, punishment is more than appropriate for reasons of public safety and public welfare. If she neglected to think of the child altogether, punishment is more than appropriate for the same reasons DCFS would take a child from an abusive home.

I don't know the mother and am not suggesting she is, in fact, an abusive parent per se. Nevertheless, her duties as mother were redisent when it counted. As a society and community, we need to - with full regret and no joy at all - hold her accountable for her actions or, rather, inactions.

There is no fix | 1:52 p.m. July 6, 2008

The fact is, putting her in jail won't hurt as much as losing her child and her being responsible.

Jail may even help her emotionally. She will be hurt and hollow the rest of her life.

Paul | 2:04 p.m. July 6, 2008

The charges seem to be more towards getting her into counseling and such. Since she still has other kids, it seems prudent for Society to get her some additional counseling.

No excuses | 3:04 p.m. July 6, 2008

This same scenario is replayed year after year. How smart (or stupid) does somwone have to be to leave a child (dog, CD case, camera, chocolate bar, etc.) in a car in the sun with the windows rolled up for two hours? How can you forget that your child is in that car? What will it take to get the message across?

Lewt | 7:07 p.m. July 6, 2008

Do you really have a criminal here? How will she be "reformed" after a prison sentence? For those who insist on "punishment", just what lesson will be learned, other than there are plenty of people who insist on retribution? What will it take to "get the message across"? Somewhere, sometime, it will happen again, even if someone is hanged in the town square. Let it go, folks.

jr | 10:41 p.m. July 6, 2008

Sad but necessary to get the message to mothers to think about the baby before their personal interests. This mother chose to leave her child in the car while visiting with a friend, maybe her intentions weren't to be so long but either way she left her baby. Too many young mothers seem to think it is someone elses responsbility to be watching out for the children. They are not talking about jail time but go through a process in hopes to help people realize this is serious

DS | 4:02 p.m. July 8, 2008

Hey Lewt...how can you say let it go. This lady FORGOT about her child in her sweltering car while visiting a friend. Would you say "let it go" if a person forgot thier dog in thier car and it died, which by the way could be prosecuted by law. How important was the visit with her friend that she forgot a child.

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