Woman accused of drowning baby in canal gets three years probation

[Herman Munster]

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16029959.htm

Aimee Lee Weiss, who as a teenager allegedly drowned her newborn baby in a canal, reached a plea deal with prosecutors today that will allow her to serve three years probation and have her criminal record wiped clean, according to her attorney, Ellis Rubin.

Prosecutors had filed first-degree murder charges against Weiss, who was 17 when she allegedly drowned the baby. Prosecutors downgraded the charges to manslaughter after an appeals court threw out Weiss' statement to police.

Weiss reportedly told police that she carried her baby in secret and delivered it stillborn, then wrapped the baby in plastic, and put him in a weighted backpack that she threw into a canal.

Last month, defense attorney Robert Barrar argued that the statute of limitations had run out on the charges against Weiss, who is now 23.

Broward Circuit Judge Ilona Holmes had denied the motion and set Weiss' trial for Jan. 22.

A medical examiner previously told attorneys that no one can say for sure whether the baby was alive when it was thrown into the canal. Defense attorneys had planned to use that testimony later this year to argue that the state should drop its case.

[4morewars]

1. If she had a joint in her pocket,

she would have gotten jail time.

[Horse with no Name]

2. How can you drown a stillborn baby?

Of course a baby that was stillborn would still have amniotic fluid in its lungs because he wouldn't be able to expel it. That would have been replaced with water from the canal.
It seems as if this was well thought out by someone, but without the evidence there really isn't anything that can be done.
I wonder if this young girl had a choice whether she wanted to carry this baby or not.
I guess we will never know.

[Crandor]

3. Is this how fundies get rid of unwanted babies?

They can't abort, 'cause that would be "murder", but I guess plain old infanticide is OK with them.

[txindy]

4. They filed murder charges and her lawyer said the statute of limitations had run out?

On murder? :wtf:

[dsc]

5. no on manslaughter

which is what they had to charger her with when the statement was thrown out.