tragedy....
 

a women was released from custody after she was unconscious for 4 hours after taking a concoction of drugs and alcohol, officers allowed the women to drive off with her baby.......

although the women had 2 outstanding warrants she was allowed to walk free....

she then returned to the apartment and left the baby in the car and passed out, later she woke up and realised that the baby was still in the car....

source: local6.com

http://www.local6.com/news/3279132/detail.html

:(

Re: tragedy....
 

thats horrible :(

I really hate all this topics involving human tragedy and deaths

poor baby. I also feel a bit sorry for that women imagine being in that state and finding that you have killed your own baby. See what drugs can do

Re: tragedy....
 

that is of course, asuming that she wasn't so wasted that she didn't realise what had happened.

Re: tragedy....
 

well she didnt realise the baby was still in the car.........even though she got out, went in to the flat, and passed out because of the methadone :erm:

Re: tragedy....
 

then woke up and found out what happened. God what must be running though her head

Re: tragedy....
 

drugs, let this be a lesson to anyone who THINKS about trying them.......

Re: tragedy....
 

I agree :(

your point about the effects of drugs is spot on, imo, the woman will have to live with that for the rest of her life.

- she should have waited till she got home, before she took the methadone, then she may have, at least, got the baby out of the car?

Re: tragedy....
 

i dont think that would be possible...............

:shrug:

Re: tragedy....
 

ok I think I see what you are saying, if the dose was only available to be administered, at the clinic? that may be the case in the states? - I don't know?

- in the UK it is handed over, if you have a prescription, what you do with it after that is up to you.

Re: tragedy....
 

Your first few are given in front of the pharmacist to make sure you are taking it, then when they're satisfied you're actually taking it, they'll hand it over (or at least that's what happened with a heroin addict I knew)

If they get cravings for methodone then she may have just taken it as soon as she got it.
Most addicts put their next fix before everything else.

Re: tragedy....
 

If she was capable of that sort of logical thinking she wouldn't have taken them at all?

Drugs make you do weird things. I doubt you act logically when you are hooked on them

Re: tragedy....
 

I know :( - a fair few of my former 'friends' would pay testimony, to that :(

I didn't know about the 'first few' bit, thanks for that.

- but shouldn't the clinic/pharmacist have a duty of care to see how she should get home, afterwards? - walking out & driving away ???

Re: tragedy....
 

Why is how she feels about her actions relevant ? I would say her actions are of higher concern ... she should be thrown in jail for unintentional manslaughter and whatever else can be thrown at her. And she should be steralised so she can't kill another child in the future.

Re: tragedy....
 

They may have given her too much credit for common sense.
I'm sure she would have been told that on methadone she mustn't drive or operate heavy machinary (you know the standard warning for anything that could affect your co-ordination or concentration).

Re: tragedy....
 

First of all as far as I know unintentional manslaughter doesn't exist I mean intentional manslaughter would be murder all manslaughter is unintentional

second of all he didn't do it on purpose and it was the effects of drug abuse and now she has to live with herself also she is not going to kill another child as she didnt want to in the first place

Re: tragedy....
 

No, manslaughter and murder are not the same, they are seperate charges, and unintentional manslaughter does exist, it's more commonly refered to as 'involuntary manslaughter'. Unintentional manslaughter is when someone does something that results in death but the activity that lead to it isn't likely to lead to death. Manslaughter is when you do something that is likely to lead to death but you didn't intend to cause death. Murder is when you intend to cause death and perfrom an act to fullfill that intent. Laws deal with both THE ACT and THE INTENT (mens rea and actus reus).

she didn't intend to kill her child but she acted in a way that lead to death. we are responsible for out actions regardless of intent. the only defense she might have is 'non compus mentus' meaning she could not be held responsible for her actions for some reason.

i think drug addicts should be held responsible for thier actions as they are responsible for thier addiction, being addicted to drugs is not like developing cancer or a mental illness in that it's ones actions that lead to the addiction and is avoidable.

you have no idea what she will or will not do in the future. however i think that druggies tend to repeat thier past behaviours.

Re: tragedy....
 

Interesting poing about non compus mentus and drug addicts.
What about a paranoid schizophrinic who doesn't take their medication and then kills someone?

I think you're right tho in that she won't be able to use it as an excuse, otherwise drink drivers would be able to use the same reason to get away with death by drink driving charges (Sorry guv I was intoxicated and non compus mentus)

Re: tragedy....
 

"A schizophrenic who tried to kill two women by pushing them off a Tube platform has been sent to a mental hospital indefinitely."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/e...on/3595053.stm

The only problem being is that under the current system AIUI, if someone has a problem that's "incurable" they can be released back into the community!! :mad:

Re: tragedy....
 

They are mentally ill and cannot be held responsible for thier own treatment ... although I'm not sure what the legal position of that would be. Thats the position I'd hold if I were on a jury. Should still be taken off the streets though.