OPINION – SB0124 is a bill that amends the Utah Criminal Code, by making it a class C misdemeanor for a person who is responsible for a child under nine years of age to intentionally, recklessly, knowingly, or with criminal negligence – to leave a child unattended in an enclosed compartment of a motor vehicle.
It was Brock Belnap’s decision that April Suwyn DID NOT “intentionally, knowingly, or with CRIMINAL negligence” leave her child under nine years of age in an enclosed compartment of a motor vehicle.
However, April Suwyn DID “recklessly” leave her child under nine years of age in an enclosed compartment of a motor vehicle.
The word “reckless” is as an adjective meaning:
utterly unconcerned about the consequences of some action,
OR
without caution,
OR
careless
Careless is defined as: “not giving sufficient attention or thought to avoiding harm or errors.”
Even though April Suwyn was sleep-deprived, she had the mental capacity to fix breakfast, get her kids ready, get her vehicle washed, return home, drive to the sitters, return to her neighborhood, park her car, talk to a construction worker, walk home, use the restroom, complete a 1 hour nail appointment, visit for five minutes with a friend who borrowed a Crock Pot, walk back to her car, drive to the sitters… But could not remember her daughter was in the car and could not remember that it’s a good idea to at least check on an 11-month-old baby (who was thought to be in her crib), before she left home?
Although it isn’t a Utah State Law to leave a child unattended at home – it is the MORAL OBLIGATION of a parent to provide a child who is not yet physically or mentally capable of being left alone without supervision, with someone who IS physically and mentally capable of supervising them.
Although (allegedly) sick for days and sleep-deprived, April Suwyn had the mental capacity to give sufficient attention or thought to everything else, except for the exact whereabouts and welfare of her 11 month-old child. Her child was left inside of a vehicle, where the inside temperature after 60-90 minutes could have reached somewhere between 130-140 degrees. Her child could have experienced nausea, vomiting and seizures – while strapped into a car seat and all the while unable to comprehend what was happening, or why it was happening.
Perhaps people are somehow incapable of realizing the severity of what this child must have endured – not only emotionally, but physically, as well. Their thoughts seem to only be focused on what the mother is now experiencing emotionally.
Donating money to help April Suwyn and her family, would be better spent on making each and every person in this State and the rest of this Nation, fully aware of the extreme dangers of leaving a child unattended. And although Brock Belnap’s decision that it wasn’t in the best interest of the general public to incarcerate or impose a monetary fine against April Suwyn – he could (at the very least) have considered suggesting that she be ordered to do community service; the aforementioned education / awareness.
There are so many laws that exist to prevent a potentially life-threatening incident; Texting-while-driving, Driving While Intoxicated, Driving Under the Influence, Driving without a seat belt and even for commercial truck drivers to prevent them from operating their 40-ton vehicles, if they are sleep-deprived. These are but a few and ALL of them are punishable under law, even IF the action does not result in them actually injuring or killing someone.
April Suwyn’s “inadvertent lapse of awareness” caused the extreme suffering and death of a defenseless human being. Who, amongst her supporters, is doing anything to prevent this from happening, yet again?
If Brock Belnap feels that he acted in the best interest of April Suwyn, he certainly did not serve in the best interest of the general public. To be more concise – WHO is acting in the best interest of her child? WHO is acting in the best interest of all children?
So many people may argue that “I” have no moral or legal right to judge others, for their actions. “I” am considered incapable of making a decision of what is right or wrong, simply because they did not appoint “me”, to do so. If this is true, then why does the First Amendment of our Constitution exist?
I am not a hate mongerer, like those who have publicly implied or outright stated that Brock Belnap or April Suwyn be harmed physically in some manner. I believe that those who did, should be charged and found guilty of conspiring to incite a riot. To be honest – I also do not want April Suwyn to be incarcerated or pay a monetary fine.
As the days turn to weeks / months / years – how many of us in this area will simply go on about our daily lives and (unintentionally) forget about this?
Is it not in the best interest of April Suwyn, that she may achieve some level of emotional and spiritual rehabilitation, by focusing on something that prevent others from making the same mistake?
The chance of April Suwyn righting her wrong and finding peace through her efforts – and every child that may be saved from an increased level of awareness and prevention, are all winners, in my book.
Submitted by David Rabbitt, Washington County resident
Letters to the Editor are not the product of St. George News, its editors, staff or contributors. The matters stated and opinions given are the responsibility of the person submitting them; they do not reflect the product or opinion of St. George News.
Related posts
- County Attorney chooses not to prosecute mother of baby who died in hot car
- County attorney reviews case as initial investigation concludes in death of baby left in hot car
- Baby dies after being left inside vehicle in high temperatures
- Did you forget something? Don’t make this deadly summertime mistake
- Drowning, leading cause of death in children under 5; what you should know
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews
Letters to the Editor are not the product of St. George News, its editors, staff or news contributors. The matters stated and opinions given are the responsibility of the person submitting them. They do not reflect the product or opinion of St. George News and are given only light edit for technical style and formatting.
Not a hate mongerer (sic)? Then stop beating the dead horse and the drum.
It’s over with. Jackass.
Nice choice of words there PJ2. Better look in the mirror if you want to see the jack…*.
*Ed. ellipses
It will not ever be over for those who feel the loss and the injustice.
PJ2- Statistically; the ” Average number of U.S. child heatstroke fatalities per year since 1998: 38“. This type of tragic will not ever “be over with”, until that number drops to “0”.
She only got away with it because she was found to be worthy. Other baby killers should take note…
BOBBER, I’ve read quite a few of your replies, in several different articles and you appear to be nothing short of an internet “ENFANT PROVOCATEUR”
(http://www.theapricity.com/forum/showthread.php?53850-The-Full-List-of-Internet-Forum-Personalities!-With-pictures!)
I wrote this, as an attempt for both sides to reach some level of compromise – not to “stoke the fire”. Your Anti Mormon stance is not only hateful, but it also speaks volumes of your level of character and intelligence.
THIS is more your speed.
She should have been charged. Dave run for County Attorney.
This was very well written and stated what many have felt. It needed to be said as many people were thinking that she should have had some accountability for her “lapse”.
It would be nice to see something good come out of this though. Maybe she can be an advocate to help promote safety; it may even ease her emotional burden knowing she is helping others.
Thoughtfully written.
I agree completely with the letter to the editor. Mr. Rabbitt has given this careful, not emotional, consideration. We need to do a better job of ensuring the safety of all young children so that this type of event never happens again.
We need to SLOW down our hectic pace of life and PARENT! If you are SO stressed out and tired that you don’t know what you are doing – don’t be a hazard and get behind the wheel either! This bothers me because where is the personal accountability? Happens again? People can now use the “stressed out mom” defense for almost anything. Hell I could use that excuse every day! Coming from a now inactive LDS, working, pro-choice single mother!
appropriate to use “dead” in your comment. and your bias uses the word jack…*. shows your intellect . so using you logic there should be no jury’s either(because men can’t judge, only god acn?? think past your nose! she is guilty of killing her daughter and That’s a fact!
*Ed. ellipses
You list the violation as a class C misdemeanor. If you knew the judicial system, you would realize that the county attorney’s office handles cases that are class A or felonies. If in fact there was a class C misdemeanor violation, it would most likely fall on Hurricane Justice court to handle. Not the county attorney’s office.
FRED – I don’t know the judicial system and I am certainly not as educated or experienced as our County Attorney, in the judicial system. But I CAN read and comprehend what it is, that I’m reading.
Wouldn’t you safely interpret that:
It’s a class C misdemeanor, if you leave a child unattended in an enclosed compartment of a motor vehicle… and they do not suffer serious injury / death. In this case however, the child did suffer serious injury / death, which is more-than-likely “WHY” our County Attorney was handling this case.
Therefore – your “moot point”, was invalid.
By your own admission, you “don’t know the judicial system” or have the education and experience. So then, one has to wonder why you feel qualified to make strong admonishments such as “I believe that those who did, should be charged and found guilty of conspiring to incite a riot.” or that I should “BEG St. George News to retract a (clearly hyperbolic) statement and pray that Mr. Belnap doesn’t come knocking on my door.” Thank you for expressing your opinions. I shall now disregard them with impunity.
When they review a case that has higher than a class A they could have charged for the class C. This case had felony charges that were possible. Brock just spent more time researching how to get out of charging her.
It’s not beating a dead horse, someone is simply not happy with the judgement! I’m also one of those people who believe in justice for all. In the end someone’s life was taken and not by their own choice. The balance of the justice system in this case doesn’t seem very balanced.
And some of you will never be satisfied, nor will you be happy with the outcome. Yet you presume to be in a position to stand above the decision of County Attorney Belnap and claim that justice was not balanced. At least by your scale. All that this opinion has done is to show the personal agendas of a few whose sanctimony took prevalence of their good judgment. You have not tempered the law, changed it, nor will it offer any sympathy to the family burdened with this tragedy.
MESAMAN – County Attorney Belnap is the least area of concern, in my “personal agenda”. To temper the law or change it, would require that I exercise my First Amendment “right to petition government for redress of grievances”.
How often has someone of your intelligence and experience, spoken out against something / someone and made it your personal agenda to share that opinion with other like-minded individuals? and by what means, have you done so? Perhaps by “social media”, if that rings a bell?
I find it difficult to believe that any intelligent person would find sanctimony in the concern of those who believe that this child (and all others) deserve a greater level of sympathy and representation, than the family or individual who lacked good judgement.
We’ll see what difference you have made if you can devise an instrument that can measure infinitesimal amounts.
Everyone has their opinions on this matter however the decision has been made and the family should be left alone to grieve. If I were in her position I would be putting myself through more than anyone would be able to comprehend…..just leave the family be.
NEIGHBOR- Every time someone says something along the lines of “just leave the family be”, I feel as though I’ve been put into a round room and told to sit in a corner.
That analogy is equally as “lame” as the quote that preceded it, yet it did require a tenth-of-a-second more forethought.
No matter how many times an opinion on this matter is stated and then shared, someone will ask that person to just let it be. Tell me neighbor, can you comprehend the grief that “I”, feel over this?
What good does “leaving a matter like this be”? Would you prefer if we (society) simply go about our business and make-believe these type of accidents won’t happen again?
The world is full of problems that people ignore or are completely unaware of. We, as individuals, cannot be expected to have a solution to all of them / all at once. But we can be expected to a least try to rectify them, one by one.
Why is it your business anyways? She doesn’t owe society anything. She doesn’t owe me or you anything. This has nothing to do with you. Drugs and alcohol kill far more kids each year. Why don’t you cry about something that really affects society? Any dink on here who drinks or does drugs is far more a problem to society.
If she were in a bar like Casey Anthony who babysat her child in the car’s trunk, or drunk and passed out, she would have been prosecuted no matter her race, religion. or social status IMO.
Equal leniency for all as well as equal justice for all. That it was the mother and with no apparent reason to have wanted rid of a child also probably swayed the court.
In lily white southern Utah growth is changing things, but this isn’t New York City or California (who do not have all the answers or justice and equality of the prescient kind, either). We build together what we build together. That is a fact.
How is justice served by taking the woman away from her kids. And what kind of probaation would you place her on? No more nails done?
I think you and others are missing part of the point. No action taken against this woman brings the deceased child back. The question is her competency and fitness for parenthood and the concern is for the safety of those other children.
I truly believe that this case shows that Mr Belnap doesn’t represent all Washington County residents only the majority of his type. It seems there was a substantial and extraordinary effort to make sure she was “innocent”! I would love to know when this type of “investigation” by a local police dept, a coroner and the DA’s office has ever been done. The public would like solid facts and evidence not the opinion of an FBI psychologist/behavior analyst or whatever their title! Troubling that this woman only had this condition while she committed her “accident”. Why was there never an psychological exam at all done on her? I would wager that the same difference wouldn’t have been given to one not of the majority in Washington County and won’t be in the future! Justice wasn’t served nor equally applied at all.
Jeff, this has nothing to do with you. Quit trying to make it about you. The public has no business in this matter. Butt out!
Frank, take your own advice butt out! This has nothing to do with you, it is about people who are exercising their !st amendment rights! This isn’t about clowns “Frank” coming on here telling people what they should and shouldn’t say!
It looks like it is about people being stupid like you. You should just shut your baby mouth.
Thanks for proving my point Frank! I will give you the last word as I know you desperately need the attention with your little man issues. Good day! 🙂
Looks like Jeff got the last word after all. So does that mean he has the little man issues that need addressing?
Pass the popcorn please.
I agree! Not checking on your “napping” 11-month old during a 4 hour nap is what gets me!!! Irresponsible.
I think that’s what everyone sees here and why it hasn’t sent up red flags with the proper authorities remains a mystery.
Too true, BedRock.
This case has been judged. The verdict was issued and the judgment will be carried out every day as this mother walks past the baby’s room. Every day when she gets in the car and sees the spot where her daughter should be. The price will be paid every day when this mother goes to the cemetery and sits on top of her daughters grave and cries so hard that all the strength in her body will be gone. She will have to answer questions from her other children as they try to understand. She will see the look on her husband’s face and wonder if he can or will ever really forgive her and she will wonder every day if her marriage will survive it all, will she survive it all. Will the pain that tares through her mind, body and spirit ever cease. Unfortunately some of the answers to these questions will be no, and she will have to carry that pain and burdon with her forever.
For those who have stood in judgement and made selfish horrible comments and wished that she be put through additional pain and suffering, shame on you. I hope you will one day come to understand how selfish you truly are. Until you have stood in her shoes you will have no clue as to the suffering that is happening to this mother and her family. I hope that none of you have to ever feel that kind of pain. But life, is messy and one day you will make a mistake. You will do something in your life that truely hurts another person. One day someone will look at you and feel that you are a horrible person and you will have to find a way to ask for forgiveness. You will have to make ammends to someone and I hope that what you have done will not reach to the levels where the person you have wronged will use the same words againat you that you use towards this mother. It is my belief that words do matter. The way we treat othere does matter. The words of judgements we wish upon others will one day be the words we have to defend ourselves against. I hope that you won’t be ashamed of yourselves. Those that you offend will one day be those you have to ask for forgiveness from. How do you think you will do???
Your just like all the others, had it not been a member you wouldn’t of wrote nothing or gave them a dime. So tired of the fake diluted people around here! There it’s any truth or reality in anything you speak. Good lawd pathetic!
No it’s cause she is a gym do gooder. Hell a friend of mine is friends with some of there friends and has posted on go fund me also. Not one of them has helped her.
Then move stupid. I am sick of the people who complain about where they live constantly. If you don’t like it then move. I will help load the moving truck.
This case may have been judged but it was not done so fairly.
Why should she be treated any different then anyone else doing a crime when they have children at home? Others have there children taken away. Or others have the family take care of them.
I think I have started to lose faith in the law. In our religion. In others.
O …* I pointed a gun at the …* that had been raping my child called and asked for help I got it jail my children taken away and fines hours classes and child. Endangerment and neglect charges. Now I can’t find a job because I have a record. She murdered her child and not one …* charge filed …. WOW that’s so cool
Ed. ellipses: …*
Your comment makes no sense at all. How dumb is that? Learn to punctuate.
I may not be able to punctuate right. Who cares
Well, she should get some becacar with all of the emotions and feelings and beating herself up, she won’t have time for her other children. I haven’t heard or seen anyone judge her. There is no trial. If only, you would have such empathy for others out there that get charged and serve jail time for acts done out of stupidity. They have guilt, emotions, beat themselves up too while also carrying it for the rest of their lives and yet get charged and still go through the court system. Are you as empathetic to those in purgatory or is it just for the morman family. Are you as empathetic to my troubled, meth addicted son that his father was too busy getting high to be in his life and he grew up wondering why? And then ended up just like him and stole a car while under the influence….are you as sympathetic to him or me…. or is he just a drug addicted punk that steals and should pay for what he has done……he should pay his debt to society and so should she. I know she didn’t intend with purpose to harm her child by leaving the child in a car. But one has to ask themselves how does that happen cuz it is a teeny tiny number of cases compared to number of children in this world. I don’t buy the psycho babble or change in routine answer. This goes beyond the surface, as everything does. Children get taken taken from parents by CPS for less. For symply disciplining a child you can get your child taken away. Getting a child taken away feels like death. So I can appreciate the sympathy, empathy, and concern for this family. However, I don’t understand why it is limited to this family and them not having CPS involved
tranlation: becacar = therapy…..and getting a child taken away for whatever reason, including divorce, feels like death but your still alive. but there is a negligent action that has been left unresolved. May she find peace.
Any person who has had an accident, made a mistake, etc. could use the same argument… “they have to live with it the rest of their lives” etc and go through hell as well. I don’t think anyone disputes that. People can be compassionate but want some type of accountability as well. What about the stressed out lady that was late for work and texting (before it was illegal) and hit the couple walking and killed the man? I feel sorry for her too- her actions were an accident, she was distracted, probably tired, and I’m sure she did not want to harm anyone. She was charged. No special treatment for her. There was negligence involved. Not checking on your baby for HOURS while you thought the baby was napping and physically LEAVING the home without checking the baby before you drove away in a car? Negligence involved. It just seems like something was off here….Hmm. A baby is NOT a wallet or some keys you leave behind! WTF??? It’s a HUMAN!
Sure it’s a HUMAN, but sometimes accidents happen and people do not need to go to jail for it. Take for instance a child playing behind a parked vehicle in the driveway that accidently gets backed over and killed when grandma and grandpa start the car and leave to go home after Thanksgiving dinner. Does that require having to pay the penalty of going through the justice system and serve jail time and a hefty fine? No it does not. But if you think it does, think of how many time you could have taken the life of a child because of your negligent actions because you didn’t walk around your car first and look under it to be sure that there wasn’t someone there. Accidents happen, and it sucks that they do, but let the courts and the justice system deal with criminals, not grieving parents.
I love your goal of continued awareness! I too feel this mom doesn’t need jail time…I’m also not sure your goal of continued awareness would be accomplished with your suggestion of community service. You pose a great question as to who is thinking of what this child went through and how to make continued awareness possible and perhaps the answer is you ! You’re obviously passionate about this so why not pull what you can from this tragedy and perhaps start a scholarship fund in her name where young applicants write about the dangers of leaving children alone? Just a thought.
It is obvious to most of us with any sense of decency at all, that the punishment that this poor mother has already received, is much greater than anything that Brock Belnap or any court system could possibly dump on her. It seems barbaric to me that anyone would think that they should publicly flog her in this manner. Let it rest people. The hell that this poor mom has to live with for the rest of her life is going to be unbearable at best. Leave the poor woman and her family alone. Shame on you St. George News for even posting this horrible letter and hurting this family again.
Sense of decency you say, like caring more about the mother then the poor innocent little girl who was baked in a car. You have a very twisted sense of decency and are judging people but that’s ok from your ilk. Just pathetic hyprocrites!
You’re pathetic to keep beating the “your ilk” drum. What a baby excuse.
Just the typical asinine response, you seem to lack any thing intelligent to say, so butt out! Frank are you like in junior high? I will stay here and torment you forever! Post your address “Frank” and I will bring the moving truck over for you!
DEBBIE – Yet again, you are someone who appears to be absolutely clueless of my true intent, in this matter.
There has been SO much effort put into comments of “let it rest people” and SO much effort into mentalities of “justice wasn’t served”, that both sides have experienced a common animosity toward one another.
This was merely an attempt to reach a compromise, for both sides and a better means of spiritual healing for the mother, than just simply “letting it rest”.
If you had actually read the last paragraph of my letter and digested it for more than half-a-second, I wonder if you would still only choose to twist the rest of the letter out-of-context?
Debbie, really? You think media coverage is barbaric? Read how this baby stroked, tied to a car-seat, and laid there for hours. This is barbaric?
Did you know that most children who die, die between ages 0-5…when they are off the radar. After that they are in school and someone is more likely to notice the patterns of concern. If you look at this situation, there are red flags that might not add up to anything but need more investigation. She might not be a terrible mom but she has distractions or issues. Are you going to honestly say that your inner dialogue didn’t include the statement ‘how could a mom forget their own baby?’.
This was reported to be looked at as a murder case. What about the other 2 kids? What about the possibility of a mentally ill, stressed out mom who has been following this case and realizes how incredibly quickly this was resolved…how easy it is to get rid of your kid. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask for more from the outcome. St. George News did their jobs. Keep talking about it and keep looking in parked cars people.
Well said.
Excuse me, no one is (supposed to be) above the law in the U.S., not even the best, worthiest, closest to the top of the LDS church – unless of course you happen to live in Utah.
Who’s acting in best interest of child who perished in hot car? Looks like nobody in the position to.
Very well put David Rabbit!! Your words are exactly what I have been saying from day one. I do not think she should go to jail or pay a huge fine but I do not think she should get off scott free either. I think community service would be a fantastic idea for her as she is not that last person will “forget” they have a baby and the child dies.
I am appalled by Mr. Belnap’s decision to say the least. According to the law he is sworn to uphold, she should at least be charged with a Class C misdemeanor. Which by the way, is not something Mr. Belnap’s office handles so it appears they were only looking at a felony or nothing.
I also just hope that CPS is keeping an eye on her other children in case she has another lapse but it appears that CPS is doing nothing as well.
This case has brought great disgrace to Southern Utah.
You are sickly obsessed with this. I am appalled with your repeated rants. Go back to your own life.
Either she knows the right people down at the ward…or she’s screwing the right people at the Washington County Attorney’s office.
Sorry to have to comment on your post, but you need therapy.
THE REST OF THE STORY:
Your comment was unwarranted and all it accomplishes is to give the “let it go” people, yet another reason to be even more bias.
Are you (even remotely) aware, that Utah is one of the 17 states that enforce criminal libel? And are you absolutely clueless, that “internet libel”, is a felony?
If I were you, I would BEG St. George News to retract that statement and pray that Mr. Belnap doesn’t come knocking on your door.
Dave,
You’re right, libel is an egregious crime. Clearly my comment above is hyperbole. You would have a hard time convincing a court otherwise, given the context of the widely used cultural expression. It’s clearly not a statement of fact. If the editor(s) understood my comment to be anything but hyperbole–insensitive though it may be– I doubt they would have published it.
And anyway it seems rather frivolous that you would make threats toward me for use of common hyperbole, when clearly there are more virulent and potentially genuine libelous comments made here daily by others.
Wow, another church cry baby. Let me know if you want to meet to discuss this in person.
Another butt hurt ward member, wanting to act like a tough internet guy! Frank you have added nothing to the conversation except your grade school name calling and threatening tone. Your issues seem to be deeper then anyone who has commented, seek help and pray!
I for one am very pissed with the outcome. I was not givin any consideration for anything I have ever done. I am lds but the only difference is or was is that I am a single parent and don’t have a lot of income coming in. And don’t have a spouse who is a fire fighter there was so much cover up. Maybe that was why it was so easy to be manipulated from others from the attorneys to the police. I received 5000 fine + for something I had not done but could not prove anything. And was told that I had better take the deal or I would be spending 5 years in jail… I really like how the time the little one was left still keeps Changing. From a few hours now only 1 and how can a person be unaware of herself concerning one child but not the other two. And if she had a lapse wouldn’t she not be able to remember all the little details of the time. This smells of a cover up.
No fine no nothing wow and a few accounts to help her forget. (WOW)
And a da that should have excused himself.
I am also upset that the great supporters could not care less about anyone else in this area that truly needs help. You are great at lip service.
Hang in there… I truly hope your situation improves. I understand what you are saying- many people are stuck with huge fines, tickets, etc. for very minor things when compared to neglecting a child and resulting in death. You are stuck with fines and tickets and she got a fundraiser. It is not fair.
lock up the baby killer
Thank you for your letter. An intelligent opinion without a certain bias is difficult to find in our small county. I believe there is a true danger to the “let it rest” mentality. When we “let it rest” we run the risk of forgetting and that danger is obvious…”Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.”
Ah, cum’on people let’s forget this and just do the ice bucket challenge. That’s the way we are as a people today. She will get over this and you should too. It’s sad and will continue to happen because that’s the way it is here. Try to vote them out you just get another one. It’s called St Upid Utared for a reason.
Three days after the baby died, when the entire Hurricane valley was still (literally) in shock and crying, the parents chose Amber Suwyn’s sister to be their spokesperson on the evening news. All she did was talk about how wonderful her sister was and how this was not indicative of the way she raises her children. Then, she said something that I will never, ever, forget: “….they just want to move on and put this whole thing behind them.”.
It was the sister who said it, not the parents. At the time, I remember saying that they needed to hire an attorney and shut that woman up if the mother didn’t want to lose her other kids. It was absolutely chilling to hear those words, at a time when most of the county was still physically ill over the loss of that baby. Does she deserve to live in a cell, maybe not….but to call it good and move on is unconscionable. If nothing else, supervision (from DCFS) might be warranted for a few years, a psych evaluation, mandated counseling. I dunno…but I am taking bets that she will be pregnant again within 6 months.
I hope y’all aren’t thinking about taking justice in ur own hands and going all vigilante and what not…
why…if you get caught in washington county belnap will call the fbi.. tell him your tired and had not slept. did your nails, make a crock pot and your home free. All in the not in the right state of mind.
Isn’t up to the court to have a competence hearing and decide if she has the mental state. Not the County Attorney. Time to impeach Belnap!
You’ve been watching too much MSNBC. Show the impeachable behavior.
I feel bad for her two sons. Now that she is even more distracted and I am sure even more sleep deprived then when she forgot about her daughter, what will happen to them?
WWJD?
Who really cares anymore. Nothing anyone feels about how unfair this was Will ever be listened to. Why waste your time and energy fighting a useless battle.
Why not wait until you see her out on the street and ask her how she could kill her child.
Everyone had their own opinion about this matter. But I fully agree with the writer of this letter. No matter what grief she’s going through. Ia cnn a mother I have never left my children in the car. I Ann the mother of 5 living health kids. I know what it’s like heat wise in st george summer. But even in winter my kids went with m me. Other things were important to get done But they STILL WENT WITH ME.
There are only two reasons for pursuing charges and instigating punishment; to reform the perpetrator, or to deter others from committing the same crime. Does anyone think giving this mother community service or even incarceration would be a more of a preventative measure for her than the hell she will already face for the rest of her life? As for a deterrent, do you think any parent will contemplate leaving their own child in a vehicle but then stop and think “I guess I probably shouldn’t, because if I do and my child dies, I might get community service…”? Stop insinuating that the best interests of the child aren’t being met. There are no best interests for the child! There are only the best interests of the family left behind to grieve and the best interests of the community. Neither are served by punishment of an accident. Stop trying to make it about her religion, or comparing it to premeditated crime. It is not the same. The conscious decision makes all the difference in the world.
[VOICE OF REASON: There are only two reasons for pursuing charges and instigating punishment; to reform the perpetrator, or to deter others from committing the same crime…Does anyone think giving this mother community service or even incarceration would be a more of a preventative measure for her than the hell she will already face for the rest of her life?]
This is NOT about her “hell she will already face for the rest of her life”. It is about “reforming the perpetrator”, by her making others fully aware of how easily THEY may also become distracted. The reform serves a dual-purpose, as it may help decrease the “hell she will face the rest of her life”, by knowing that she is doing everything in her power, to prevent this from happening to yet another parent and their child… and by potentially saving that other child.
[VOICE OF REASON: As for a deterrent, do you think any parent will contemplate leaving their own child in a vehicle but then stop and think “I guess I probably shouldn’t, because if I do and my child dies, I might get community service…”?]
Your comment should have read:
“I guess that maybe I can – because if something happens, I can just blame it on being distracted”.
Now – some people may “intentionally” leave their child unattended in a hot or cold vehicle, using that excuse to avoid prosecution, rather than intentionally leaving their child in a dumpster, for example. It is far easier to claim that: “I didn’t really mean to…”, than “I really did mean to…”
What if the 23 year-old Alicia Englert would have premeditated to leave her 2 day-old infant in a vehicle “inadvertently”, rather than “intentionally” leaving her in a dumpster – knowing that there was a 50/50 chance she would not even be ordered to do community service, much less a fine and jail time?
…THAT – is why I completely disagree with our County Attorney’s decision, about “DETTERENCE”.
[VOICE OF REASON: Stop insinuating that the best interests of the child aren’t being met. There are no best interests for the child! There are only the best interests of the family left behind to grieve and the best interests of the community. Neither are served by punishment of an accident. Stop trying to make it about her religion, or comparing it to premeditated crime. It is not the same. The conscious decision makes all the difference in the world.]
So – let me get this straight; I am supposed to be concerned with the best interests of the family left behind to grieve and NOT about the child who did not (better yet; COULD not) choose, to leave her family behind to grieve???…
The best interests of the child and all the others before or after this particular incident are not being met, as this is and continues to be a problem that should not be ignored.
I had a modicum of pity and remorse for this mother, as I could not even begin to imagine the pain / guilt she must be feeling… However, that modicum of pity and remorse was quickly replaced by anger and judgement, after reading that she DID (thinking her daughter WAS in her crib)…
“knowingly and intentionally” leave her daughter alone in her crib that afternoon, while she drove to the babysitters house.
My unanswered questions (all hypothetical and purely speculative, because no one in the general public, knows for sure):
1) Could the mother have thought?:
If I check on my daughter before I leave and if she sees me, I can’t just leave her, because: She might start crying and if have to take her with me now that she’s seen me, she’ll probably need her diaper changed before we leave, adding to the already hectic morning I had. I’ll be back in less than 10 minutes, so I’ll check on her and get her up, then.
2) Why wasn’t there any mention… of any testimony (or comments or support- on any news article), from the person who had their nails done, that day?
3) Why wasn’t there any mention… of any testimony (or comments or support- on any news article), from the person who borrowed the Crock pot, that day?
4) Why wasn’t there any mention… of any testimony (or comments or support- on any news article), from an employee of the car wash – who may have remembered her getting her car washed, that day?
5) Why wasn’t there any mention… of any testimony (or comments or support- on any news article), from the construction worker with whom she spoke with, that day?
6) If the general public is supposed to agree with all of the supporters of the mothers character as an otherwise fantastic mother, why isn’t is ok for the general public to agree that:
a) The City Attorney Brock Belnap (is more-than-likely) a member of the LDS community. His office received many phone calls about this case, in support of the mother. Many feel that perhaps pressure from a bishop / ward … (present and future constituents), to find some legal “loophole” / basic ganglia / scientific hypothesis, to excuse her actions / inactions.
b) The immediate plea for donations to the family, showing that they already found her innocent of any type of criminal negligence…
c) The censorship of the Facebook page “Support for April Suwyn” which deleted not only the hateful remarks, but also any / all forms of speculation or questions…. and
d) The community get-together in the park, to release balloons for the daughter, yet more so to show support for the mother.
Could these not be reasons why an (LDS-principled) City Attorney would be “more-than-likely” under a great amount of pressure – to find a justifiable reason – not to charge her – with ANY type of retribution, fine, or incarceration?
As I have already previously stated; these are all questions based on speculation, rather than undeniable facts. I don’t know and am making no accusations. But has the City Attorney (in the interest of the rest of the community) removed all doubt, from their minds?
My MAIN concern, is that this type of (accidental) tragedy NEVER happens, again. At the risk of being an absolute pest about this, I wrote to the editors yet again – asking them to post a follow-up article on a preventative measure for those who may experience “an inadvertent lapse of awareness”.
The EASIEST solution so far, seems to be:
SoftNClip Car Seat Smart Baby Alert System, Alerts By Wireless Technology
“The system reminds the parent/caregiver with an alarm six seconds after the parent/caregiver has moved more than 15 feet from the child in the child safety seat”…
It activates itself when you buckle the chest clip and deactivates, when you unbuckle it. No smartphone or app required, like some other types of Bluetooth Proximity Alert sensors – just a simple chest clip and key fob.
What if – Due to a change-of-routine and/or sleep-deprivation:
(A) A mechanic who is replacing your brake pads gets distracted (for whatever reason) and forgets to tighten a brake line… your vehicles brakes fail and cause you (or someone else) to be injured or killed?
(B) A tire technician who is repairing and installing a tire gets distracted (for whatever reason) and forgets to torque your lug nuts and your wheel falls off, causing you (or someone else) to be injured or killed?
(C) A pharmacist who is filling your prescription gets distracted (for whatever reason) and gives you someone else’s medication and that medication causes you a severe reaction or death?
Would you, a friend, a family member and even the general public – expect that someone to be held accountable and then penalized, in some method?
Throughout every comment, I have refrained from name-calling – but you, with your “There are no best interests for the child!” comment… You’re an idiot.
When someone else is relying on you (for their safety) to be fully aware of what you are doing -an inadvertent lapse of awareness, is no viable excuse. And there is nothing more important than a child, who is completely dependent on their caretaker, for their safety and well-being.
The only reason why I don’t want her to do jail time, is because I have compassion towards the other two children and the father. Their family has suffered not only this, but also another tragedy – all within less than a month. As far as she is concerned – I am against ANYONE, regardless of any religious or societal community support; to knowingly and intentionally, leave a child under 9 years old ALONE, whether it be in a car or even in their home… EVEN IF there is not a State Law existing to prevent it.
I am absolutely DONE arguing valid points, with people who choose to blindly accept “an inadvertent lapse of awareness”, as an indisputable excuse for forgetting their child in a car.