Dad "who lost it" with 5-week-old son sentenced to 1 year in jail (Pacific County, Washington)

Dad JAMES J. CRAVEN, who initially claimed that his 5-week-old son had "fallen" and "got caught on some furniture"--never mind how a 5-week-old infant "falls"--now admits that he "lost it" with the baby because poor Daddy got "frustrated." Seems now that Daddy deliberately injured this baby by twisting his leg till it broke, bruising his abdomen, and holding his hand over the baby's mouth. But don't cry too much for Daddy, because the jury dropped this from a felony charge to misdemeanor, so Daddy will only spend one year in jail. I dare say that had this been the mother, there would be calls for her head on a pike.

http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/20/1178821/pacific-county-father-of-baby.html

Father of baby sentenced to year in jail
THE OLYMPIAN • Published March 20, 2010

A 31-year-old Pacific County man must serve a year in jail for intentionally injuring his 5-week-old son, who suffered several suspicious injuries, according to The Daily World of Aberdeen.

Deputy Prosecutor David Bustamante said James J. Craven was convicted last month of misdemeanor assault of the child after a jury rejected a more serious felony child assault charge.

Superior Court Judge Michael Sullivan sentenced Craven to the maximum misdemeanor punishment of 365 days in jail.

Bustamante said Craven also faces two years of probation and a restraining order that prohibits him from seeing his son.

Craven and his wife brought the infant to Columbia Memorial Hospital in October with a broken leg and suspicious bruising, court records state. Craven told investigators the child had fallen and got caught in some furniture.

Investigators said Craven twisted the infant’s leg, breaking it. They also accused him of bruising the boy’s abdomen and holding his hand over the child’s mouth.

Craven admitted in court records he had “just lost it.”

“James stated he didn’t do anything on purpose or out of anger towards his son,” court records state. “He stated he is frustrated, stressed out and depressed about their whole family situation.”

Read more: http://www.theolympian.com/2010/03/20/1178821/pacific-county-father-of-baby.html#ixzz0ijvHqKly