Dad sentenced for shaking 28-day-old daughter; she has permanent blindness in one eye (Greeley, Colorado)

Father CHRISTOPHER DAHL has pleaded guilty to 3rd degree child abuse in the August 2008 shaking of his 28-day-old daughter. The baby has been left with permanent blindness and limited mobility in her right leg because of the attack. Dad gets just 6 years in a "community corrections facility" for the injury, and of course, will attend useless "anger management" classes.

Note that mothers have received longer sentences than this for "failure to protect."

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20090710/NEWS/907109995/1002/NONE&parentprofile=1001

Man sentenced for shaking baby
By Adrienne Saia Isaacgtreporters@greeleytribune.com,

A Weld District Court judge sentenced Christopher Dahl to six years in a community corrections facility Thursday after Dahl pleaded guilty to third-degree child abuse resulting in serious injury in the shaking injury of his then 28-day-old daughter.

In August 2008, Dahl shook Nichole Dahl, causing permanent blindness in one eye and limited mobility in her right leg.

Dahl did not seek immediate medical attention for his daughter after the incident.

Both he and his estranged wife, Ashley Bybee Dahl, told several stories to the police before admitting how Nichole was injured, according to court documents.

Weld District Court Judge Marcelo Kopcow sentenced Dahl after hearing emotional testimony from the child's mother and grandfather and from Dahl's family. Nichole's mother, Ashley Dahl, and her father, David Bybee, asked the judge to send Christopher Dahl to prison for five years, the maximum he could serve under the agreement.

Bob Ray, attorney for the defendant, asked Kopcow to consider probation because Dahl had no prior criminal record. Dahl also has undergone anger management counseling and sessions with a child bonding specialist. He pays child support for his daughter and 2-year-old son.

Dahl apologized for his actions and asked for a second chance. He blamed his anger on financial hardships and a tumultuous marriage, but said that they did “not excuse my behavior against my daughter.”

“She never deserved or asked for any of this,” Dahl said.

Kopcow decided against jail time, saying it might impede the progress Dahl has made to manage his anger issues.

“Dahl is making significant progress,” he said.Kopcow described community corrections as “one foot in the community, one foot in prison.”

Cindy Bybee, Nichole's grandmother, has temporary custody of Nichole and her brother.