Dad with 12 previous felony convictions still gets joint custody, then leaves 2-year-old son alone in car during freezing temperatures for more than 5 hours (Spokane, Washington)

Well, a father with 12 PREVIOUS FELONY CONVICTIONS still gets awarded joint custody. Then the bozo gets mad at wife #2, leaves the house with his 2-year-old son dressed in nothing but pants, t-shirt, and a diaper, THEN LEAVES HIM ALONE for 5 HOURS in FREEZING TEMPERATURES. By the time the police retrieved him he clearly had symptoms of incipient hypothermia. Still, the clueless wife #2 swears he's a "good father." Not seeing much evidence of that, lady. Meanwhile, the reporter doesn't bother to find out what the mother thinks. Wonder if she is so thrilled that her son almost lost his life with this irresponsible moron.

So much for the fathers rights claims about how daddies don't get custody from the family courts. On the contrary, this father was totally coddled and indulged.

Dad is identified as CHARLES B. FIFE.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/jan/07/man-charged-leaving-toddler-son-car/

January 7, 2015 in City

Man charged after leaving toddler son in car

Rachel Alexander The Spokesman-Review

A Spokane man is being charged with abandoning a child after leaving his 2-year-old son alone in a car on the South Hill for more than five hours in freezing temperatures.

Police contacted Charles B. Fife, 51, around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday after a concerned employee at the Conoco station at 518 East 29th Ave. reported Fife had entered the store and told her he lost his car with his son inside.

Officers located the car with the boy inside around 9:45 p.m. According to court documents, the boy was wearing nothing but pants and a t-shirt. He was shivering, had bright red feet and did not respond to officers. His skin was cold to the touch and his diaper was soaked through.

The temperature outside was 33 degrees, with wind chill of 27 degrees. Witnesses told officers the car had been parked since at least 4:30 p.m.

Officers took the boy inside and gave him a blanket to warm up, but he continued shivering after about 10 minutes. He was taken to the hospital about half an hour after being taken from the car.

Once at the hospital, the boy kept pointing to his feet, saying “ow” and crying when they were touched.

Police spokeswoman Monique Cotton said the child was placed in protective custody with Child Protective Services.

Fife told officers he parked near Manito Park while his son was sleeping, walked around the block to find his friend, and then could not find the car.

According to court documents, he became “very upset and agitated” when asked about the incident.

Judge Michael Price said it was “quite a bizarre” incident after reviewing officer reports at Fife’s initial court appearance today.

“It just makes no sense to me at all,” he said. Fife’s wife, Lisa Fife, was present at court and said Fife took his son out to the park after the two of them were arguing about finances.

“We get along so well I think it got him distraught,” she said, saying it spoke to his character that he chose to leave the situation instead of letting it escalate.

Lisa Fife said she and her husband aren’t very familiar with South Hill, and suspected he may have been so upset from the argument that he forgot where he parked. She said he is a good father to his son and shares custody amicably with the boy’s mother.

“I don’t know what this is going to do to him, not being able to see him,” she said, adding that Fife “lives for” his son.

Prosecutor Ed Hay said Fife has twelve previous felony convictions, including armed robbery and conspiracy to possess a controlled substance.

But Lisa Fife said in spite of his past, her husband has no drug or mental health issues.

Fife remains in jail in lieu of $2,500 bail.