Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Charges dropped against mother accused of letting children starve to death

Charges dropped against mother accused of letting children starve to death, Seattle Times, Jan. 31, 2007. The woman was judged incompetent to stand trial after a year at Western State Hospital. She has suffered from alcoholism, depression, and psychotic episodes. The state will now seek civil commitment.

"This is a sad, sad case," said King County Superior Court Judge Helen Halpert. "I know the result may be unsatisfactory to the family... but a basic tenet of the justice system is that a defendant must be able to understand the nature of the legal charges against her."

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