"Remorseful" dad gets no prison for his role in death of 7-week-old daughter (East Bethel, Minnesota)

Somehow I'm thinking that if this had been a mother, she would have been roundly condemned as a druggie slut and sent off to prison for a while.

But dad CURT CHRISTOPHER CARLSON is just going to get probation for getting drunk, smoking pot, passing out, and suffocating his newborn daughter. Notice that Mom was working while Daddy was "caretaking." Sad, but typical....

Yet another reason why moms need paid maternity leaves in this country....

http://abcnewspapers.com/2010/11/11/remorseful-father-gets-no-prison-for-his-role-in-baby%E2%80%99s-death/

Remorseful father gets no prison for his role in baby’s death
News Thursday, November 11, 2010 7:03 am

by Eric Hagen
Staff writer

A 32-year-old East Bethel father was given 10 years’ probation for his role in the death of his seven-week-old baby in April 2009.

Curt Christopher Carlson was drunk and had been smoking marijuana when he passed out and accidently suffocated his baby girl, according to the criminal complaint.

Carlson pleaded guilty Sept. 22 to second-degree manslaughter and was sentenced Nov. 3. The felony-level conviction will be on his criminal record, which was spotless before this tragedy.

Assistant Anoka County Attorney Kurt Deile said a person convicted of second-degree manslaughter would normally get some prison time, but Carlson did not because he had no criminal record, he already began taking drug and alcohol abuse treatment sessions, he stayed together with his wife, he has two children and he is truly remorseful for what happened.

Because of these circumstances, Deile agreed to a departure from the normal sentencing guidelines for this charge.

“It’s always sad to see somebody die, especially young children,” Deile said. “On top of that, she died at the hands of her own father.”

Carlson’s attorney could not be reached for comment.

Since the death of their seven-week-old daughter, the Carlsons have had another child, Deile said. They also have a seven-year-old daughter.

The incident happened the evening of April 4, 2009, but charges were not filed until Jan. 26. Carlson was charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter, neglect of a child and child endangerment.

Three of these four felony charges were dismissed as part of the plea agreement that Carlson would plead guilty to one count of second-degree manslaughter.

According to the criminal complaint, Carlson’s wife left her seven-week-old daughter and six-year-old daughter with her husband the evening of April 4, 2009 because she was going to work. She left around 6:15 p.m. that evening and arrived home during the early morning hours of April 5.

When she arrived home, she found her husband asleep on the couch, she told police.

After waking Carlson, he said he had been feeding his baby daughter while he sat on the couch. He said he must have fell asleep around 9:30 p.m. April 4. A sheriff’s office deputy said he woke up around 2 a.m. April 5.

Pressure indentations on both sides of the baby girl’s head during the autopsy proved her head had been pressed between the cushions of the couch.

Analysis by the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s crime lab estimated Carlson’s blood-alcohol concentration would have been 0.24 BAC at the time he passed out. Traces of marijuana metabolite were also found in his system.

Carlson ended up serving one day in the Anoka County Jail before a $2,000 bond was posted.

While on probation, Carlson cannot drink any alcohol, must attend drug and alcohol abuse treatment sessions and submit to random testing. He must submit a DNA sample.

He also must serve 50 hours of community service or pay a $500 fine by Nov. 3, 2011.