Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Criminal Law Blogs -> Sentencing Law and Policy

Criminal Law

: Sentencing Law and Policy

Does Mommy not-so-dearest merit an extra harsh sentence?

By Douglas A. Berman

The question in the title of this post is prompted by this new article from the New York Times.  The piece is headlined "Seeing Failure as Mother as Factor in Sentencing," and here are some excerpts: As the prosecutor asked the judge to impose a long prison sentence, she used the word twice: ?Mommy.?  The ?mommy? she was referring to was Nixzaliz Santiago, who last week received a sentence of to 40 1/3 to 43 years in prison, the maximum term, for her part in the death of her 7-year-old daughter, Nixzmary Brown. The prosecutor, Ama Dwimoh, said Ms. Santiago was the ?one person? who the little girl should have been able to count on. ?She called her ?Mommy,? ? Ms. Dwimoh told the judge. The word weighed heavily on a trial already filled with horrific details of abuse...continue to full post

Full post as published by Sentencing Law and Policy on November 16, 2008 (boomark / email).