A Nicholson woman was sentenced to 12 months probation, as well as given a $1,000 fine and 200 hours of community service, Monday morning in the September 2008 death of an infant in her foster care.
Wendy Osborne, 30, was sentenced on one count of involuntary manslaughter, a misdemeanor charge, in the death of 9-month-old Jessica Scovil.
The sentence was a negotiated plea between district attorney Brad Smith and Osborne’s attorney. Smith told Judge Bob Adamson, a retired senior judge who presided at the hearing, that he recommended the 12 months probation. Adamson added the monetary fine and community service, which are the maximum that can be given in misdemeanor charges such as this.
“There is no way the court can lessen the anger and frustration of those who loved this child,” the judge said. “This act is at the highest level of criminality of a misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter charge. If not for the recommendation of the district attorney, the court would have considered time (in jail) in this case.”
For the full story, see the March 24 issue of The Jackson Herald.
Nothing can bring this baby back, it was an accident. She is paying a price no one else could possibly understand. And she ALWAYS will. Having the state feed and cloth her serves no purpose.
God gave us a mouth to say no and hands to put it down. So don't take these Angels that God gives us for granite. He"ll take them right back to heaven where they belong. The Bible say " Who a mong yee have sinned cast the first stone."
As for the Stringer case, life w/o parole is a great sentence that will ultimately cost all of us taxpayers significantly less than a death penalty case (because we taxpayers get to foot the bill for his defense), and guarantees that monster will never walk the streets again. I would much rather see that than to take the chance that one moron on a jury doesn't want to convict because they watch too much CSI and think every case should have DNA, fingerprints, etc. Knowing someone did something and having enough tangible evidence to convince 12 people w/o any reasonable doubt are 2 very separate things.
One summer a principle of a school forgot to remove her child from the car, the child stayed in the school parking lot the entire day, and sadly died. The death was ruled an accident and nothing further happened legally. This principle/mother went on Oprah to educate the public on the risks. In her case she was over worked, tired, stressed out, and changed her routine. That's all it took. Normally her spouse took the child to daycare.
There have been other similar deaths in GA. All sort of tragic things happen from children dying from their parent’s human mistakes.
I hope it's reminder to us all to slow down and be our best when we are in charge of innocent children. Being tired, sick, or stressed out should be a warning to us to be extra careful.
Having said that, I don't want to feed and clothe her for the next 1, 2, 10 or 20 years because we can't forgive her. It's not ours to forgive!
I'm sure she is, and will be, suffering now, and forever, so much more than being in prison. She will live with this forever. She WILL see that child's face in her dreams every night for the rest of her life.
How about we give it a rest? Let's just leave her be to try and find reconciliation in her soul and in her life without further comment from people who know nothing more than what we've read.
I don't know about you, but I am willing to admit that I live in a glass house, so whatever I think, I'm not throwing a stone at someone else's.
I am the grandmother of Jessica so I beleive that I have a right to speak here, your right it's not up to us to forgive, and I know she will always see Jessica's face and never beable to forget; but in the mean time the day she was in court for what happened to Jessica she got to go home and hug her two now 5 years old. I don't want to judge her there is a God for that but I think it is realy sad that my granddaughters life ment so little to the system that killed her. It's the system that needs to change and i think insteat of just putting post here people sould start writing there Sentors and doing something to change the laws that has hurt so many familys and in my family causeed the death of Jessica. Lets get Justice for Jessica and stop taking sides. That is what Jessica's family is doing please visit http://pcbw.2x.nu we are fighting to change the laws.