Jury gets case of dad accused in death of 5-month-old son (Dallas, Texas)

Once again, we have a "caretaking" dad--in this case NICHOLAS HARRIS--and a working mom. And once again, the end result was a fatally injured baby.

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20110217-jury-gets-case-of-father-accused-in-death-of-5-month-old.ece

Jury gets case of father accused in death of 5-month-old
By Jennifer Emily
Staff Writer
jemily@dallasnews.com
Published 17 February 2011 11:05 AM

Prosecutors said there was no doubt that Nicholas Harris is the one who killed his 5-month-old son at their Dallas apartment.

Prosecutor Marci Curry on Thursday told jurors that a parent's hands can provide many things: warmth, comfort, food, love.

But Harris' hands, she said “were a deadly weapon” that ended Trammell Harris' life.

Curry and prosecutor Reynie Tinajero asked a Dallas County jury to find Harris guilty of causing serious bodily injury to the infant.

Jurors are now deliberating.

Harris is accused of shaking and striking Trammell Harris.

Harris' defense attorney, Kenneth Weatherspoon, told jurors that prosecutors did not prove their case and they should find his client not guilty.

“I know your heart goes out to the child,” but, he said, the state didn't prove what it accuses Harris of doing.

To convict, the jury has to believe that Harris knew his actions could cause serious bodily injury.

“Sometimes bad things happen and nobody's to blame,” Weatherspoon said.

Tinajero displayed a picture of Trammell on the courtroom’s three large televisions. The baby is laying on his stomach, wearing a white suit and surrounded by plastic Easter eggs.

“He's watching to make sure justice is done,” he told jurors. “Look into his eyes, and do right by him.”

Trammell's mother, who was at work when her son was injured, sat in the courtroom with tears streaking her cheeks as she looked at her baby's photo.