Mom faces trial for leaving child in car

[Tina]

Okay, I have a REEEEEL problem with people who leave children and pets in cars. How many kids have died by being overcome by heat because their parent went off and forgot the kid was in the car? I have many times reported people who leave their dogs in cars on hot days with one or two windows barely rolled down. Leaving living beings in an unattended car is just asking for trouble -- especially unlocked cars and especially in weather -- too hot, too cold, and especially for any length of time, but this is, IMO, ridiculous. The woman locked the car, and if the child was in the back, she likely could not have gotten out, as most cars have child-proof locks to prevent just that. Also, she was not far from the car, never went into the store, and if she let the car out of her sight, it was only for a few moments. Most people who steal cars with kids inside take the ones that are unlocked.

Normally, I'm on the side of prosecuting, but I think they're going WAY too far with this.

Mom faces trial for leaving child in car

By DON BABWIN, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 5 minutes ago

CHICAGO - Treffly Coyne was out of her car for just minutes and no more than 10 yards away.

But that was long and far enough to land her in court after a police officer spotted her sleeping 2-year-old daughter alone in the vehicle; Coyne had taken her two older daughters to pour $8.29 in coins into a Salvation Army kettle.

Minutes later, she was under arrest — the focus of both a police investigation and a probe by the state's child welfare agency. Now the case that has become an Internet flash point for people who either blast police for overstepping their authority or Coyne for putting a child in danger.

The 36-year-old suburban mother is preparing to go on trial Thursday on misdemeanor charges of child endangerment and obstructing a peace officer. If convicted, she could be sentenced to a year in jail and fined $2,500, even though child welfare workers found no credible evidence of abuse or neglect. More...

[biodieselman]

Originally Posted by Tina

... no more than 10 yards away.

... Coyne had taken her two older daughters to pour $8.29 in coins into a Salvation Army kettle....

Heard this on the radio yesterday. They said she had crossed the street to teach her children about charity when the cop showed up & began yelling at her in public. Zero Tolerance, Political Correctness & Multiculturalism has mutated away from good intentions, into extremism, lacking any semblance to common sense or good judgment.

Oh shit! The PC police are after me!

[Tina]

Ha! Love the cartoon, Bio.

I think you're right, though. And this sort of thinking has polluted some of the minds in this country, too, so that some of the laws are just plain stupid.

I hope this woman kicks their ass, as I don't believe she did anything wrong. It wasn't even a street, either, it was an loading zone at a store, not nearly as far away as a regular parking spot, evidently. What idiot is going to break in in order to steal a car that's in front of the store when there's much easier pickings in way less obvious spots?

[Miss Vickie]

I think it she was within sight of the car the whole time, kept the car locked, etc it was safe and they need to go after REAL criminals. Must be nice to live in a place where police and prosecutors have so little to do that they can pursue this.

[Bagalute]

Originally Posted by biodieselman

Zero Tolerance, Political Correctness & Multiculturalism has mutated away from good intentions, into extremism, lacking any semblance to common sense or good judgment.

I'm with you on common sense (or rather lack of in this case) and good judgement (horribly bad in this case) but I don't see the link to political correctness and multiculturalism

[Tina]

Originally Posted by Miss Vickie

I think it she was within sight of the car the whole time, kept the car locked, etc it was safe and they need to go after REAL criminals. Must be nice to live in a place where police and prosecutors have so little to do that they can pursue this.

Yeah, no kidding. Give some people power and they have no idea how to handle it. What the heck is a "community service officer"? From the article:

Even as she buckled 2-year-old Phoebe into the car, the girl was asleep. When Coyne arrived at the store, she found a spot to park in a loading zone, right behind someone tying a Christmas tree onto a car.

"It's sleeting out, it's not pleasant, I don't want to disturb her, wake her up," Coyne said this week. "It was safer to leave her in the safety and warmth of an alarmed car than take her."

So Coyne switched on the emergency flashers, locked the car, activated the alarm and walked the other children to the bell ringer.

She snapped a few pictures of the girls donating money and headed back to the car. But a community service officer blocked her way.

[Tina]

Originally Posted by Bagalute

I'm with you on common sense (or rather lack of in this case) and good judgement (horribly bad in this case) but I don't see the link to political correctness and multiculturalism

Bagalute, when I read Bio's post it reminded me of something going on here in Quebec is a very multi-cultural society, and is not a bad thing in my idea, until political correctness and the desire to try to make everyone comfortable runs amok. This is the situation.

Personally, I think people should be free to practice whatever religion they desire within their own home and church/temple/whatever. But if there is a law against knives, or if someone must show their face on an ID card, just ofr instance, no exceptions should be made for religion. If people don't like that, they can stay away, as far as I'm concerned. I know that sounds very harsh, but trying to bend to please everyone, only makes idiots (or further idiots, really) out of government, IMO.

[mossystate]

Ok, facing trial..is..insane. I DO think this woman needs to be slapped with a fine...something. I don't care how close you are to your car..you do not leave a 2 year old kid in a car..alone. Things do happen in just minutes, and while nobody can watch a kid every second of every day, you can lessen the possibility of bad things happening. There is a middle ground here, and I think that is what is so messed up about this story..oh..and that the mom needs to be slapped upside the head with a newspaper. Tallk about no friggin common sense.

[Tina]

I agree that there should be some kind of consequence, but this is just blatant, power-trippin' overkill.

[love dubh]

Nevermind.

[Bagalute]

Originally Posted by Tina

Personally, I think people should be free to practice whatever religion they desire within their own home and church/temple/whatever. But if there is a law against knives, or if someone must show their face on an ID card, just ofr instance, no exceptions should be made for religion. If people don't like that, they can stay away, as far as I'm concerned. I know that sounds very harsh, but trying to bend to please everyone, only makes idiots (or further idiots, really) out of government, IMO.

Fair enough...but where's the connection to the original story?

[PamelaLois]

All charges were dropped today on this woman. I live nearby, and people here were thrilled that they came to their senses and dropped all the charges

[Tina]

Originally Posted by Bagalute

Fair enough...but where's the connection to the original story?

I can see one, possibly, but that's up to Bio to answer.

Glad they dropped the charges, though I think she should at least get a warning or something to tell her that in general, it's not okay to leave kids in cars, instead of being completely vindicated.

[PamelaLois]

Originally Posted by Tina

Yeah, no kidding. Give some people power and they have no idea how to handle it. What the heck is a "community service officer"? From the article:

A community service officer around here in the Chicago suburbs is pretty much nothing more than a mall or shopping center rent-a-cop, security guard.

[Tina]

I figured it was something like that, because she sure didn't sound like anyone with real authority.

[Risible]

Child endangerment - not in this case, it seems. However, if we were only told "A mother locked her 2-year-old in the car and walked away for seven minutes," we might reach a different conclusion.

It takes less, much less, than seven minutes for a 2-year-old to work her way out of the carseat, into the front seat and out the "locked" door and into traffic; it would be too late by the time the mom heard the car alarm go off, reacted and began running - two other kids in tow - the 30 feet back to the car. That 2-year-old could have run into the path of a car - in the dark, in the rain, in what appeared to be a crowded parking lot during Christmas season.

So, child endangerment? It seems to have merit.

But what bugs me about this story is we're told only that the mother was "uncooperative," and was charged with obstructing a peace officer. Upon realizing that she was being told that she had broken the law, did she quietly accept the ticket that was forthcoming, or did she fly off the handle, lose her temper and escalate the situation, knowing that defiant behavior can, and will, get her arrested? My guess is the latter scenario.

The time and the place to defend your case and fight for your innocence is not with the police officer who caught you (even if you think it's a matter of perception, and the case is arguable), but with the DA or the courts. I will never understand why people who get caught react badly, refuse to cooperate and then act the victim instead of owning the consequences.