Posted on 04/02/2010 7:15:12 PM PDT by Chet 99
FORT WORTH, Texas — A Texas man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for leaving his baby alone with his psychotic wife, who drowned their son in a hot tub.
Michael Maxon appears to be the first husband held criminally responsible in Texas cases involving mentally ill women who have killed their children, said prosecutor Alana Minton.
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
what a tragic situation...We see this all the time.
This will all get WORSE under Obama care.
Please see my ‘rant” on post #59.
thank heavens this person got help...the public health centers are often very good and not like this, but also they are often understaffed and these situations occurr.
Here’s the rate stats on the treatment of depression:
only meds given:40% improvment
just therapy: 40% improvement
Both meds and therapy together: 80%
I am sorry for your family’s tragedy..
an excellant post that explains a lot!
This case doesn't appear to me to be any different than the baby-mamas who leave their babies with loser boyfriends who then proceed to beat the baby to death.
In a local case the baby-mama is being prosecuted as well.
As I understand it, the improvement rate with no treatment is also very close to 40%.
You are correct.
That is because those with clinical depression ( not grief, or situational) is cyclical.
The problem without treatment is that there is always the possibility that the depression becomes so deep, risk of suicide.
Also during that time, the person may have work and serious relationship problems that with some treatment early could have been avoided.
Therapy should be focused on helping the person to spot the early signs of depression, and of course taking responsibility for making all efforts —rest, talking with friends, getting spiritual support, etc.
I’ve been around this track a couple of times with family members as well.
Without commenting on the particulars of this case, since I don’t know nearly enough about it, I can say for sure that little children should NOT be left in the care of the mentally ill.
I much as one may love the sick family member, one’s first obligation must be to secure the safety of the children.
Some background I found:
“...psychologists testified that they believe that Michael
Maxon exacerbated his wife’s mental condition. Police found a tape in the
house in which Michael Maxon repeatedly chants negative statements. He told
police he played it for his wife as “therapy” when she was extremely depressed.
“It’s all so deliciously tragic,” Maxon says over and over in a singsong
voice. “It’s all my fault. I really screwed up. I’m the mother; no one
understands me. If I’m miserable, the whole world has to be miserable.
Nobody understands. Our son is riding the short bus. It’s all my fault.”
It appears that Mr. Maxon elected to NOT have the jury sentence him, and instead asked for the judge to do it, probably because the tape reveals that he played a part in exacerbating his wife’s mental deterioration.
Were the facts known, it might be seen that the judge was more lenient in sentencing than 12 angry jurors would have been.
(oh...and the judge is a Republican, Marine, and appointed by Bush...)
5.56mm
Is there any precedent for this type of law? A case dealing with the issue decided before say 1920.
See post 68.
that verifies my earliest statement “there is more to this story.”
“without somebody helping him”...Oh really? If family doesn’t step in...Who would? And this guy is sick enough to play those tapes...Do you really think he would have agreed to have somebody help him?
You really can’t argue your points...”Get a life” ...
You also proved my point that people “go in and out” of hospitals, etc.
Putting this on the husband with a ten year sentence is ludicrous.
I have said there is more to this story. I just read about the tapes. Yes people go in & out of mental hospitals all the time. My friend has been warned by a NJ judge if she appears before him again she will be in Trenton Psychiatric Hospital for more then a few months. I still stand by the fact I believe in MY FRIEND’s case she is abusing her meds. If someone is criminally insane they can be locked up for life & IF they are a danger then that is where they should be. Have a Happy Easter.
I hope your friend can get the help she is needing and is able to comply with the help. What a tragic story.
I think many reactions that are so emotional to this story is because we are all frustrated at getting help for people, yet not wanting to go back to the way mental illness was treated half a century ago.
there are no easy answers.
I hope you have a Happy Easter too.
Thanks!
Then we need to blame the government for this woman killing her baby.
I still maintain that if she really wanted to kill that child, she could have done it with the her husband in the next room in a matter of minutes, before he was even aware.
The worst he can be accused of is poor judgment in leaving. I can’t imagine the stress he was under living in that situation.
It appears that Mr. Maxon elected to NOT have the jury sentence him, and instead asked for the judge to do it, probably because the tape reveals that he played a part in exacerbating his wife’s mental deterioration.
It took the jury less than 30 minutes to find the man guilty. Either the evidence was very compelling or he had a lousy attorney for his defense. See post #22 above for a link to more info.
See post #68
See post 68....hardly poor judgment.
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