Any lawyer who would speak publicly making it out that what his client did wasn't that bad is instantly suspect himself. It's kind of like being caught by your wife with your pants down hovering over another woman and saying that it's not what it looks like. Suuuuurrrrreee it isn't.
Of course any person who would BEAT on their kid like this lady did would lie about how bad it was. Her charcter is beyond deplorable. That video tape doesn't lie. I know he's only doing his job but, sometimes layers make me sick. (Sorry Refman ) No offense intended.
A freind of mine saw this. He is one of the nicest guys that I know, i really didnt think he had a mean bone in his body. In class he went off on this woman, saying she was a moron and if he was there he would have beat the tar out of her. Its amazing the reaction people have when they see the defensless being taken advatage of and abused. This whole thing makes me sick. whats worse is that I have twin daughters that are two, ever since Ive had them things like this really bother me, i hope she is not allowed to spend another day with her child. She has clearly shown her incapability as a mother
No offense taken. Things like this occasionally give me reason to be ashamed at my fellow lawyers. The profession could do a better job policing itself. But that another topic for another thread.
OMG!!!!!!!!!! I just saw an extended view of the tape on Fox. She not only pounded on the child...she kept shaking the child over and over. You can't allow people to shake a 4 year old. I hope she turns herself in and she gets pounded on while in prison...she's less than human. There is no emoticon for what I'd like to have happen to this vile excuse for a person. Not even the guillotine emoticon does this justice.
Burn her! She's a WITCH!!! Mom accused of videotaped beating surrenders MISHAWAKA, Indiana (CNN) -- The woman sought by police after being captured on videotape apparently beating her young daughter surrendered to authorities here Saturday afternoon. Madelyne Gorman Toogood, 26, was accompanied by her lawyer, Steven Rosen, and the alleged victim -- her 4-year-old daughter, Martha, as she turned herself in at 5:20 p.m. ET at the Mishawaka Police Department. They pulled into a police station garage, and neither the mother nor child could be seen by waiting television cameras. St. Joseph County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Toth said Toogood will be booked into the county jail on a felony battery charge. A judge has already set bail at $5,000, reducing prosecutors' request to set bail at $50,000, he said. An arraignment will then be scheduled for early next week. The charge carries a possible prison sentence of six months to three years, Toth said. Rosen said his client realized that once she surrendered, she would not be allowed to have custody of Martha while awaiting resolution of his case. He described his client as panic-stricken over the possibility that she might lose custody of the girl and her two sons, ages 5 and 6. Toth said police will have the girl examined to make sure she is not injured. The case will then be turned over to Child Protective Services, he said. "We would be thrilled if she is safe and she's not hurt. But we obviously want to make sure of that ourselves," Toth said. Rosen said that based on conversations with the girl's relatives, "Martha is great. She has no bruises, no abrasions, no marks. She's fine. She's been checked out." Police have been searching for Toogood since September 13, when a surveillance camera in a department store parking lot videotaped her apparently slapping and punching the girl inside a sport utility vehicle, after first looking around to see if anyone was watching. After several days of fruitless searches for the girl and her mother, authorities gave the tape to the news media, and it began airing nationwide Thursday. Only then did Toogood, through her lawyer, begin talking with Toth's office about surrendering. Toth said no deals were made to encourage her to surrender. Rosen said the scene on the tape "is not what you think it is. It was a bad moment at a bad time." "The mother obviously used very poor judgment," he said. "She's very remorseful. She regrets it, and I'm here to say that she's not an enemy." Another woman seen on the videotape, identified by police as Toogood's sister, Margaret Daley, has been arrested and charged with failing to report child abuse and assisting a criminal, authorities said. The sister was "not cooperating" with authorities, said prosecutor Maggie Jones.
In 10 minutes, I go get my son, and he will get the biggest hug he's had since I dropped him off Thursday @ 7:30...
I can't believe they let the woman bond out considering that she has a history of not making court dates. She has several failure to appear warrants in Texas, according to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. They even gave her a relatively small bail for a felony ($5,000). I guess they figure she's more likely to show since her daughter is with a foster family and under the court's jurisdiction.
Well, we have to remember what's really important. We have to really punish the true criminals, like people caught with a joint or a tab of acid in their pocket, before we punish people who are capable of beating their own children.
I used to work with Texas CPS and the sad fact is procedures (based on Texas law) stipulate that the agency seek placement with relatives first and non-relatives second. I always disagreed with this principle because these types of behaviors usually run through and are learned from family. This woman's family is already not cooperating. The chances of CPS finding a suitable placement with relatives is not good. However, this will probably not stop them from placing the child with said relatives. All the "family" will need to do is be on their best behavior and lie through their teeth during the placement interview. In all likelihood this child will be returned to the mother if the mother cooperates with her 6 and 12 month "plan." Most children are in and out of the foster care system until something truly tragic happens. Sadly, this is not even close to being a "horror" story in comparison to things I've seen. The difference is the fact that this was videotaped and now a highly publicized event. Hopefully, this event will bring some of these issues out in the forefront. I have met and know some incredible foster parents in Texas, however the overall quality of foster parents is not that good. Many are only in it for the money. Sad but true. I hope the state in which this is occurring has different standards than Texas.
I would think it more likely that as soon as the child is placed with a family member (if CPS places the child with family members), the family disappears again. The Travellers are not exactly known for their cooperation with the justice system. I kind of suspect that the woman surrendered thinking she could simply disappear after bonding out (hence the reported panic when she found out upon surrendering that her child was being placed with a foster family). But that's just speculation, of course.
That women is an idiot. She is acting like she is being violated because her daughter can't stay with relatvies. They would not let her go home with her grandparents ... my husband offered to go stay where they were keeping her. I just didn't want her to go home with strangers, she's scared enough." She's better off with strangers then being with a b**** that beats the heck out of her. "They shouldn't have taken my child away," she said. "There's permanent residence right here in Indiana that would have took my child that CPS [Child Protective Services] could have looked at ... they shouldn't have did this. They wasn't supposed to do this, and it shouldn't have been done." You weren't supposed to beat the crap out of your little girl. "I would lay my life down for her," she said. "That's how everybody feels about their children, I imagine." You could've killed her you idiot.
