Dad gets prison for assaulting 6-week-old son; baby has life-long disabiliies (Monroe County, Michigan)

Dad is identified as TYLER L. STONE. Notice that the mother was asleep when Daddy assaulted the baby, and was never charged with any crime. Nevertheless, she has still lost custody. Mothers are typically held to freakishly high standards, while fathers get excuses. 

http://www.monroenews.com/news/2013/sep/27/father-faces-prison-case-involving-baby/

Monroe Father Faces Prison In Case Involving Baby
By Ray Kisonas

As of Friday, September 27, 2013, 09:44 p.m.

A teenaged father accused of shaking his baby so severely that it caused debilitating injuries made a legal agreement that is expected to put him jail for at least nine years.

Tyler L. Stoner, 18, of French­town Township has pleaded no contest to a charge of first-degree child abuse.

In an agreement with the Mon­roe County Prosecutor’s Office, Mr. Stoner is expected to be sen­tenced to a minimum of nine years in prison.

In exchange for the plea the prosecutor’s office agreed to not file any additional criminal charges.

Mr. Stoner, who remains lodged in the county jail, is to be sentenced Oct. 10 by 38th Circuit Court Judge Michael W. LaBeau. His attorney, Russell Smith of Temperance, declined to com­ment.

The charge stems from a Jan. 19 assault when the child was 6 weeks old. Monroe County sheri­ff’s deputies reported that Mr. Stoner was caring for the child in the early morning while the baby’s mother slept. The parents, who are not married, took the baby to the hospital when he was unresponsive.

According to court records, the baby suffered life-threatening in­juries, including a fractured skull, traumatic brain injury, broken ribs, two broken arms and bro­ken toes. The child was kept on a life- support system and eventu­ally was weaned off a ventilator.

The baby’s mother was never accused of assaulting the child, police and court documents showed.

“The grief this girl has gone through was excruciating,” said the mother’s attorney, Cheryl E. Lohmeyer. “It’s heartbreaking.”

The child eventually was re­leased from the hospital and lives with a caregiver approved by the courts.

The baby is now nine months old and requires 24- hour care, suffers from seizures and receives all his nutrition from a feeding tube, according to Mon­roe County Probate Court records. The effects of the injuries are expected to be life-long and the baby might be permanently blind because of the bleeding be­hind his eyes.

The father voluntarily termi­nated his parental rights months ago, court records show. At first the mother tried to retain her rights and care for the child, ac­cording to court documents. But Ms. Lohmeyer said her client de­cided earlier this month voluntarily to terminate her parental rights also.

“That decision was very hard to make,” Ms. Lohmeyer said. “It was the best decision for the child. That was the most loving thing she should do.”

Prior to the decision, many supportive friends and relatives petitioned the court with hand­written letters in hopes to allow the young mother to continue to care for the child. She also kept a written journal about her visits to the hospital.

“I miss him so, so, so much,” she wrote in one entry. “ Today I got to hold ( him). Today was good.”