What do you think of this sentence? Does it fit the crime? Is there even a crime?

[Type Username Here]

A South Carolina mother was sentenced to the maximum of 10 years in prison today for refusing to tell authorities where her missing toddler has gone. Zinah Jennings, 23, showed no emotion as the verdict of guilty of unlawful conduct was read in court. Jennings' son, Amir, was 18 months old when he was last seen in November. He and his mother were taped on security video at a Columbia bank.

Police say Jennings has repeatedly lied to them about where the boy is, telling false tales that led them to search places from Atlanta to Charlotte, NC. Jennings has said she left the boy somewhere safe but wouldn't give details when questioned by police. Some of the dozens of prosecution witnesses testified that Jennings, who gave birth to a girl last week, said she was stressed and needed a break from the boy. One friend said Jennings told her she pondered selling or giving away the boy and even mentioned throwing him out the window of a moving car.

SC Mom Gets 10 Years Over Missing Son - It's not clear whether toddler is still alive

 

[Higher Tech]

It's the fine line between good and evil. She might have killed the kid, and if she didn't, why the big secret? The authorities are doing their job by attempting to ascertain the welfare of the child. It's a very light sentence if the kid is dead, but then again, what was she even charged with?

 

[zerozero]

disturbing

I think there is a compelling public interest in finding out what happened to people, kids or adults, and when someone obstructs that it's fair to investigate them

but I'm not sure whether just a sentence is what's required here

seems like she needs mental/social services

 

[daze23]

the article doesn't really have enough info

sounds like a pretty fuct up situation. I'm just not sure what exactly the charges are, and what kinda evidence there was

anyway...

 

[Strapped]

you'll probably get a different outcome if you got money

 

[jackswstd]

They should rip out her uterus

 

[88m3]

Don't agree with the sentence

 

[Padron1926]

(CBS/AP) COLUMBIA, S.C. - A South Carolina jury convicted Zinah Jennings guilty on Friday for refusing to tell authorities about the whereabouts of her missing toddler Amir, who disappeared last year.

The 23-year-old mother was given the maximum sentence of 10 years in prison after she was convicted guilty of unlawful conduct. The jury of eight women and four men deliberated for about 2 and-a-half hours before issuing its decision.

Amir was 18 months old when he was last seen in November. Police said Jennings repeatedly lied to them about the boy's location, telling false tales that led them to search places from Atlanta to Charlotte, N.C.

Jennings did not testify in her own defense, but police said she told them that she left her son somewhere safe but wouldn't give any further details.

Prosecution witnesses testified during Jennings' two-week trial that the mother said she was stressed and needed a break from the boy. Jennings gave birth to a daughter last week.

One friend said Jennings told her she pondered selling or giving away the boy and even mentioned throwing him out the window of a moving car. Jennings' mother said she doesn't believe her daughter would have ever harmed Amir.

Several witnesses for the prosecution testified that they saw Jennings kick Amir when he misbehaved or squeeze his hand when he wouldn't say "mama." Amir and his mother were taped on security video at a Columbia bank, where employees testified that Amir was often not in a car seat when his mother pulled up at a drive-through window.

Prosecutors also played audio from Jennings' lengthy interview with police after her arrest in late December. In it, the young mother cried as she said her son was safe but that she couldn't prove to authorities that he was alive.

"Prove to me your child is alive," police Sgt. Arthur Thomas says.

"I can't," Jennings replied.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57508473-504083/zinah-jennings-south-carolina-mother-found-guilty-of-unlawful-co
nduct-in-missing-toddler-case/
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If youre facing 10 yrs, why wouldnt you just say where the kid is? Something is really weird about this

Why dont they charge her with murder and try her for that? This seems like the casey anthony case.

 

[daze23]

Why dont they charge her with murder and try her for that? This seems like the casey anthony case.

well look what happened in the Casey Anthony case. it looks like here they pursued a charge where they could get a conviction

 

[Padron1926]

In South Carolina, unlawful conduct towards child amounts to a felony. The law as it appears in the statute

S.C. Code Ann. § 63-5-70. Unlawful conduct towards child.

(A) It is unlawful for a person who has charge or custody of a child, or who is the parent or guardian of a child, or who is responsible for the welfare of a child as defined in Section 63-7-20 to:

(1) place the child at unreasonable risk of harm affecting the child's life, physical or mental health, or safety;

(2) do or cause to be done unlawfully or maliciously any bodily harm to the child so that the life or health of the child is endangered or likely to be endangered; or

(3) wilfully abandon the child.

(B) A person who violates subsection (A) is guilty of a felony and for each offense, upon conviction, must be fined in the discretion of the court or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.



If youre facing 10yrs, just say where the kid is cause you'll probably face a reduced sentence if the kid is still alive. Why not just say he is with his uncle luke in cali. The kid is still nowhere to be found, I guess I dont understand how murder hasnt entered the equation. Even if it is proven that beyond a reasonable doubt, she did not murder the kid, then why cant you charge her with this unlawful conduct since the damn kid is missing?

And I still dont know how casey anthony got off

 

[T'Kuvma Da Unforgettable]

In South Carolina, unlawful conduct towards child amounts to a felony. The law as it appears in the statute

S.C. Code Ann. § 63-5-70. Unlawful conduct towards child.

(A) It is unlawful for a person who has charge or custody of a child, or who is the parent or guardian of a child, or who is responsible for the welfare of a child as defined in Section 63-7-20 to:

(1) place the child at unreasonable risk of harm affecting the child's life, physical or mental health, or safety;

(2) do or cause to be done unlawfully or maliciously any bodily harm to the child so that the life or health of the child is endangered or likely to be endangered; or

(3) wilfully abandon the child.

(B) A person who violates subsection (A) is guilty of a felony and for each offense, upon conviction, must be fined in the discretion of the court or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both.



If youre facing 10yrs, just say where the kid is cause you'll probably face a reduced sentence if the kid is still alive. Why not just say he is with his uncle luke in cali. The kid is still nowhere to be found, I guess I dont understand how murder hasnt entered the equation. Even if it is proven that beyond a reasonable doubt, she did not murder the kid, then why cant you charge her with this unlawful conduct since the damn kid is missing?

And I still dont know how casey anthony got off

 

[jwinfield]

And I still dont know how casey anthony got off

They couldn't tell how she died.

You can't convict someone of murder, especially in the first degree, if you don't know if the victim was murdered.

 

[mbewane]

Strange case, but I guess that the court has a higher responsibility to finding out how and where the kid is, and if she's obstructing that, well...now 10 years is not much if teh kid is dead, but a lot if he isn't...but why would she not cooperate is the kid wasn't dead?

Sidenote: why do people even kill their babies anyway, is it so hard to put them up for adoption or hand them over to social services (honest question, I have no idea)? Especially the newborns...I mean I'm not saying it's the right thing to do, but it's still better than killing them, for everyone involved?