Dad gets 1 year in jail for death of 12-week-old infant daughter (St. Charles County, Missouri)

One year in jail for killing a newborn. With credit for time served. Disgusting.

Dad MARLON M. HINES has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of his 12-week-old daughter. The baby died from a lacerated liver because Daddy "applied pressure" to her chest while he was babysittting. What the hell does that mean, "applied" pressure? Enough pressure to kill a baby? Why the hell was he "applying" pressure anyway?

And note the excuses. He doesn't even "remember" the incident. Really? Truly? And it just happened to take place during a very short window of opportunity--during the time that Daddy was babysitting while Mom was at the store. What an amazing coincidence. And the poor dear was an "inexperienced parent," too. Why that poor little sweetheart....

I hate to break it to you, but all parents start out as "inexperienced." But just a minority are convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of a tiny baby. In reality, the "inexperienced" card is basically used to excuse murderous fathers. Moms are supposed to be born knowing how to take care of babies, so I can assure you that a mother in this situation would have been trashed as an unfeeling, unnatural, worthless slut. No one would have bought for a second that she had lacerated her infant daughter's liver and killed her by sheer accident.

http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/stcharles/article_4ec43ba6-017d-11e0-baf0-00127992bc8b.html

Father sentenced to year in jail for daughter's death

BY SHANE ANTHONY • santhony@post-dispatch.com > 636-255-7209 www.STLtoday.com Posted: Monday, December 6, 2010 2:38 pm

ST. CHARLES COUNTY • Marlon M. Hines, 20, of the 900 block of Sycamore Drive in St. Charles County, pleaded guilty today of involuntary manslaughter in the death of his infant daughter and was sentenced to one year in jail.

Hines admitted to applying pressure to 12-week-old Aniya's chest, leading to a lacerated liver that caused her death. Circuit Judge Lucy Rauch followed the terms of a plea agreement by sentencing him to jail time.

Hines has been in jail since June, and he will receive credit for time served since then.

Defense attorney Wayne Schoeneberg said it was Hines' idea to plead guilty. "He's clearly taken responsibility," Schoeneberg said.

Schoeneberg said his client doesn't remember the moment when the injury occurred, but he was babysitting the girl when she was injured. The mother was at a store at the time, police have said.

St. Charles County Prosecutor Jack Banas said no one in Aniya's family wanted to prosecute Hines. He said other cases in which family members have not wanted a prosecution have resulted in strange results from juries.

The plea agreement allowed prosecutors to make sure Hines had a conviction on his record, Banas said.

Aniya died at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital on May 31. A few weeks later, prosecutors charged Hines with second-degree murder and an alternative count of involuntary manslaughter.

"We don't think he intended to out and kill the child," Banas said. He said Hines was an inexperienced parent, which could have contributed to Aniya's death.

Schoeneberg said family members do not believe Hines intentionally injured his daughter.

Hines said little during this morning's hearing. He answered Rauch's questions with "yes ma'am," or "no, ma'am." No family or friends attended the hearing.

The maximum punishment for involuntary manslaughter is seven years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The maximum punishment for second-degree murder is life in prison.