Dad pleads guilty to 1-month-old baby's death (Stevens Point, Wisconsin)

Dad SCOTT STEVENS has pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless homicide in the death of his 1-month-old son.

http://new.wsau.com/news/articles/2009/oct/05/father-reaches-plea-deal-babys-death/

Father pleads guilty to baby's death
Mon October 5, 2009 1 week ago

STEVENS POINT, Wis. (WSAU) – A Stevens Point father accused in his one-month-old son’s reckless homicide has entered a guilty plea as part of a plea bargain.

Scott Stevens pled guilty to an amended charge of second-degree reckless homicide.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers will be free to argue for any punishment the judge deems appropriate at the sentencing hearing. The charge could carry up to 25-years in prison. A sentencing date has not been sent.

Assistant district attorney David Knaapen said the plea deal avoids the cost of putting Stevens on trial and putting the victim’s family through more agony.

“We still get the conviction, he’s still looking at time prison, I still think it’s a fair resolution for everyone,” Knaapen said.

Stevens told police he was playfully tossing the child into the air in their apartment bedroom in January. The child slipped through his hands after the third toss, turned white and went limp, Stevens said.

But doctors say the child’s injuries, which included retinal hemorrhaging and multiple bruises, don’t match that story and were more consistent with a shaken baby-type death. According to court documents, Stevens had been warned not to toss the boy in the air because the infant’s neck wasn’t strong enough.