Vegan Couple Get Life Over Baby's Death

PissBottleMan

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18574603/

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ATLANTA - A vegan couple were sentenced Wednesday to life in prison for the death of their malnourished 6-week-old baby boy, who was fed a diet largely consisting of soy milk and apple juice.

Superior Court Judge L.A. McConnell imposed the mandatory sentences on Jade Sanders, 27, and Lamont Thomas, 31. Their son, Crown Shakur, weighed just 3 1/2 pounds when he died of starvation on April 25, 2004.

The couple were found guilty May 2 of malice murder, felony murder, involuntary manslaughter and cruelty to children. A jury deliberated about seven hours before returning the guilty verdicts.

Defense lawyers said the first-time parents did the best they could while adhering to the lifestyle of vegans, who typically use no animal products. They said Sanders and Thomas did not realize the baby, who was born at home, was in danger until minutes before he died.

But prosecutors said the couple intentionally neglected their child and refused to take him to the doctor even as the baby’s body wasted away.

“No matter how many times they want to say, ‘We’re vegans, we’re vegetarians,’ that’s not the issue in this case,” said prosecutor Chuck Boring. “The child died because he was not fed. Period.”

Although the life sentences were automatic, Sanders and Thomas begged for leniency before sentencing. Sanders urged the judge to look past his “perception” of the couple.

“I loved my son — and I did not starve him,” she said.

When the judge told the defendants they could ask for a new trial, Thomas hung his head low.

“I’m dying every day in there,” he said, “and that could take three years.”

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PBM

_Crazy_Mary_

What a terrible story. What? Is it against veganism to breastfeed your baby? The baby would have been fine had she breastfed. :(

chopitdown

i have to agree with the prosecutor "“No matter how many times they want to say, ‘We’re vegans, we’re vegetarians,’ that’s not the issue in this case,” said prosecutor Chuck Boring. “The child died because he was not fed. Period.

I think the sentence may be a bit harsh but the child died from starvation.

Abookamongstthemany

_Crazy_Mary_ wrote:

What a terrible story. What? Is it against veganism to breastfeed your baby? The baby would have been fine had she breastfed. :(

Seriously!! It makes no sense!

chopitdown

_Crazy_Mary_ wrote:

What a terrible story. What? Is it against veganism to breastfeed your baby? :(

nope...it's encouraged.
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/people/lifestyle/families/parenting/vegan_children/breastfeeding.php

blackredyellow

I don't have a problem with their sentence at all. They let an innocent 6 week old infant die and did nothing about it... Screw them.

_Crazy_Mary_

chopitdown wrote:

nope...it's encouraged.
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/people/lifestyle/families/parenting/vegan_children/breastfeeding.php

Then what on earth was wrong with these people?! :mad:
They got what they deserved.

Alex_Coe

I think this couple doesn't neccesarily deserve life, and the judge realised that.

Most likely, the judge handed down this sentence to discourage other people from this same "diet plan".


Unfortunately, the judge didn't realise that parents everywhere won't change their decisions based on this sentence. Hardheaded parents who mistreat their children will certainly continue to do whatever they were doing before.

PissBottleMan

blackredyellow wrote:

They let an innocent 6 week old infant die and did nothing about it... Screw them.

Life though? That's harsh. I don't think it was their intent to kill their child...manslaughter at the very least.

PBM

vedderelf

Wow. This woman across the river in Illinois ended up getting only 10 years for helping her boyfriend drown her (not his) 3 kids. Wonder why the disparity.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art20634.asp

chopitdown

_Crazy_Mary_ wrote:

Then what on earth was wrong with these people?! :mad:
They got what they deserved.

exactly, you'd think that when something as important as a baby comes along you'd do a little research and talk to... i don't know...other vegans who have had babies????...I mean, I just googled that and found it in 1 minute. Idiots.

Pearl Jam and toast

It's been quoted already, but for emphasis...

“No matter how many times they want to say, ‘We’re vegans, we’re vegetarians,’ that’s not the issue in this case,” said prosecutor Chuck Boring. “The child died because he was not fed. Period.”

_Crazy_Mary_

PissBottleMan wrote:

Life though? That's harsh. I don't think it was their intent to kill their child...manslaughter at the very least.

PBM

Hopefully they won't reproduce in prison.

Pearl Jam and toast

chopitdown wrote:

exactly, you'd think that when something as important as a baby comes along you'd do a little research and talk to... i don't know...other vegans who have had babies????...I mean, I just googled that and found it in 1 minute. Idiots.

idiots? who is? someone who didn't read the article very carefully :rolleyes:

“No matter how many times they want to say, ‘We’re vegans, we’re vegetarians,’ that’s not the issue in this case,” said prosecutor Chuck Boring. “The child died because he was not fed. Period.”

chopitdown

Alex_Coe wrote:

I think this couple doesn't neccesarily deserve life, and the judge realised that.

Most likely, the judge handed down this sentence to discourage other people from this same "diet plan".


Unfortunately, the judge didn't realise that parents everywhere won't change their decisions based on this sentence. Hardheaded parents who mistreat their children will certainly continue to do whatever they were doing before.

i believe the sentence is mandatory for the offense, at least the article presents it that way. So the judges hands were tied.

chopitdown

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

idiots? who is? someone who didn't read the article very carefully :rolleyes:

“No matter how many times they want to say, ‘We’re vegans, we’re vegetarians,’ that’s not the issue in this case,” said prosecutor Chuck Boring. “The child died because he was not fed. Period.”

the parents are idiots.

Pearl Jam and toast

chopitdown wrote:

the parents are idiots.

yes but call them idiots for the right reason.

_Crazy_Mary_

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

idiots? who is? someone who didn't read the article very carefully :rolleyes:

“No matter how many times they want to say, ‘We’re vegans, we’re vegetarians,’ that’s not the issue in this case,” said prosecutor Chuck Boring. “The child died because he was not fed. Period.”

:rolleyes:....the parents are the idiots.

_Crazy_Mary_

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

yes but call them idiots for the right reason.

lmao.
Happy Birthday, by the way

blackredyellow

PissBottleMan wrote:

Life though? That's harsh. I don't think it was their intent to kill their child...manslaughter at the very least.

PBM

I'm not a huge fan of mandatory sentences (especially life ones), but I do think the charges were appropriate. Manslaughter implies carelessness or accidental or whatever... what they did was murder. It might not have been their intent to murder their child, but that is what their actions led to and they didn't do anything to stop it.

Don't you have to take babbies (a shoutout to psycosinlove ) to the doctors several times in their first few months?

chopitdown

Pearl Jam and toast wrote:

yes but call them idiots for the right reason.

please see post 3. and then the article...their malnourished 6-week-old baby boy, who was fed a diet largely consisting of soy milk and apple juice....