Woman buckles up beer but not kid
Categories: Just for moms, Health & safety, In the news, Weird but true, Alcohol & drugs, Gadgets & tech
You know that one time you thought you buckled your child in their car seat only to realize in horror later you hadn't actually latched the belt, you were on autopilot and somehow forgot that step and you still feel horrible about it? Well, you're fine.
A woman in Florida was arrested after police stopped her for running a red light and discovered that while the case of beer in the passenger side of the car was safely belted in, the sixteen month old girl in the back seat was not.
After finding a couple of metal pipes commonly used for smoking drugs in the driver's purse, she was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, child abuse, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving without a license.
What I don't understand is why the girl's mother, who was sitting in the back seat with the toddler while her drunk/high friend drove, wasn't charged with anything. Anyone have an idea?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Jenn 2-07-2008 @ 8:09PM
I would assume because the person behind the wheel is considered the responsible party? But I'll bet it varies by state.
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Summer 2-07-2008 @ 11:12PM
Actually, I heard that they are trying to bring charges against her as well. Late last night, they had contacted Child and Family Services and were considering their legal options in pursuing the mother's arrest.
Have you seen her interviewed?
She was practically grinning. She apparently thinks this is a big joke! She obviously thinks they are blowing this way out of proportion and for those smirks alone, I hope they throw the book at her. =(
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isisaquaria 2-07-2008 @ 11:17PM
OMG Just goes to show --Some people do not deserve to be parents...
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Jan Bay 2-07-2008 @ 11:20PM
This is the second time I've heard that the baby's mom was also in the back seat. Why isn't she being held responsible for her child's safety? I understand that the driver broke the law by ever putting the vehicle in gear without the child being secured in a safety seat, but isn't mom guilty of endangering the child?
Jan from http://www.unique-baby-gear-ideas.com/
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Judi 2-09-2008 @ 12:49AM
That's as good as the a**hat that drove past me the other day on an extremely busy 4 lane road with a TODDLER sitting in his lap steering (while going 35 mph)! I was totally kicking myself for forgetting my phone at home. Someone needed to call 911 on that idiot. Grrrrr!
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gary 2-10-2008 @ 9:15PM
Not truly knowing the circumstances, but being a social worker in NY for years, the mother may not have been charged with anything criminal, but the case was, if the state has a brain, referred to what is called ACS (Administration of Children's Services), or Board of Child Welfare and then would be referred and the child placed in foster care (often worse than living with the natural parent)until something permanent is decided and a plan is set for suervised visits with the child while the mother goes through parenting classes, therapy, rehab...whatever it deemed appropriate by the Family Court Judge. As far as I know, though, in reference to a comment above, every state holds the driver utimately resposible for what happens in the car. Whole system is too complicated and sorry to go into fully....ie...I know a child given back to mom after a month of therapy and parenting based on the advice of a social worker who was either an idiot, or burned out or both and was soon found prostituting her 6 year old to satisfy mom's crack fix. It took that, on top of what it took to get the child into the system to begin with, for the child to be taken away permanently. Awful.
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gary 2-10-2008 @ 9:20PM
Forgive typing above but left hand is out of commission.
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Cynthia Brown 2-10-2008 @ 9:25PM
How redneck does this sound! Put them both behind bars!
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Big Bertha 2-10-2008 @ 9:28PM
Probably because the baby's mother is only 13 years old - this is the South, remember?
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Muundoggie 2-10-2008 @ 9:30PM
Gee! Was her name Britney?
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Big Bertha 2-10-2008 @ 9:31PM
Probably because the baby's mother is only 13 - this is the South, remember?
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DB 2-10-2008 @ 9:42PM
She probably sucked the cop off.
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Larry 2-10-2008 @ 10:06PM
Although this is tragic, I resent all of the "redneck" and "this is the south" comments. First of all, most southerners DO buckle our children up. I travel all over the U.S. and see this as much up north as I do in the south. Secondly, southerners have a hard time considering Florida as part of the south. There are as many people in Florida from up north as there are native Floridians.
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Jim Wagers 2-10-2008 @ 10:27PM
We in the SOUTH refer to Florida as the misplaced North. There are very few Southners in Florida. Mostly yankees who moved down uninvited.
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John 2-10-2008 @ 10:27PM
Unfortunately, Child neglect (act of omission...in this case failing to securing the child) is NOT a criminal offense. So she will probably not be charge with a criminal offense. Also, the negligence in question does not necessarily reflect a persistant inability to provide for the safety of the child...so shelter care (removal to a foster home) will probably not be granted/ordered...and I doubt the PS worker will even persue it.
She will probably be indicated for neglect, requiring her to submit to parenting classes etc.
That's the way the system works. The laws governing cruelty to animals are more strictly defined than the laws governing child neglect. And most of the time it's very difficult to build a convincing case for child neglect....which is why it's so seldom indicated.
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Cheri 2-10-2008 @ 10:46PM
Was the mom in the back seat not used to putting her child in a car seat? Isn't it the law in every state? Why would you have to protect your booze before a child? Does not make a lick of sense???
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harrjo5 2-10-2008 @ 11:03PM
Hey give the gal a break,she was trying NOT to abuse the alcohol!
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wild bill 2-10-2008 @ 11:10PM
ya...big deal..the kid was alright..the beer ..well so she might need to cut back a bit...you shake it up it goes everywhere.
i remember when nobody buckled up..the kids stood up on the floor in the front seat..stuck your head out the window and laid up in the back window...!
cars didn't even have seat belts..
you could stand up in the back of a pick-up..you could ride the kids in the back of a pick-up to get ice cream...and you know what?...everybody had a nice time...WITHOUT THE SAFETY POLICE TELLING US HOW TO LIVE..!
you people today make me sick..if the cars that we have to buy were built better,then we wouldn't have to wear seat belts...!
you wreck and they fold up all over you...your dead.
sure some safety features are great,but things have gotten out of hand.
and you people sit here like sheep and take it.
i bet most of you losers still vote too...!
hahahahahahaa....!
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1oldwac 2-10-2008 @ 11:11PM
It is called "Child endangerment" was the police officer high too?
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wild bill 2-10-2008 @ 11:12PM
in the old days as kids you never buckled in.you didn't need it.
if you were doing something you weren't supposed to and your folks had to stop suddenly and you came flying up in the front,from the back seat you got smacked and you learned to sit how you were supposed to.
end of story.
but today if things continue to go in this...SAFETY POLICE...direction....it will soon be illegal to sneeze in public without a kleenex...there will be some stupid ...legal formality to write up and fine you and demoralise you.
and you idiots are the ones to blame...YOU ARE SHEEP ,BEING LED TO SLAUGHTER...!
america has turned into a seedy,f*cked up place to live.
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