Posted on 12/14/2004 1:17:18 PM PST by LouAvul
HOUSTON (AP) - Andrea Yates' murder convictions for drowning her children should be overturned because the state's expert witness gave false testimony about working on an episode of "Law and Order," her attorneys told a state appeals court Tuesday.
Yates was sentenced to life in prison in the 2001 deaths of three of her children after jurors rejected her insanity defense. She was not tried in the deaths of the other two.
Psychiatrists testified that Yates suffered from schizophrenia and postpartum depression.
Her attorneys told a three-judge panel of the state's First Court of Appeals that she deserves a new trial because of 19 errors that were committed in her 2002 trial.
(Excerpt) Read more at modbee.com ...
Timothy McVeigh didn't fight the sentence with appeals.
How hard is it to distinguish between a person who is mentally ill? The woman committed a heinous crime but she is NUTS! Not of sound mind. There should be a distinction.
Most people on death row were probably sentenced under a state law. But I believe McVeigh was under federal. If memory serves, after the Oklahoma City bombing, Congress passed legislation that among other things was designed to do something about the long delays in carrying out death sentences in federal cases. Sen. Hatch may have been one of those behind this . . . I'm not certain. But I do think this is what explains why McVeigh was executed quickly. It would not have happened without the newly passed legislation.
Who ruled that she was insane ?
"...he wasn't just as nutty as she, and that it why I hold him more morally responsible for these murders that I hold Andrea"
Well said!
I don't know. How can you be mentally ill and not of sound mind when you methodically murder your children one by one and lay them out on a bed. Seems to me she was doing what she planned to do. Also the other one who let her little boys drown. You have to know what you are going to do. I am not in a contest here as to mentally ill or sound mind. Those horrid deaths of those innocent children at the hands of their MOTHERS come to my mind first and foremost. It's hideous yes and they should remain behind bars.
FACT: The one they loved and trusted took their lives.
I don't know. How can you be mentally ill and not of sound mind when you methodically murder your children one by one and lay them out on a bed. Seems to me she was doing what she planned to do. Also the other one who let her little boys drown. You have to know what you are going to do. I am not in a contest here as to mentally ill or sound mind. Those horrid deaths of those innocent children at the hands of their MOTHERS come to my mind first and foremost. It's hideous yes and they should remain behind bars.
FACT: The one they loved and trusted took their lives.
Agreed. I also believe that ole Rusty Russell whatever the hell his name is should be spending some time in jail for being neglectful of his wife.
In fact the husband may be more guilty than Andrea Yates.
This moron knew his wife was having severe depression problems, her doctors told him not to have any more children, he had her home schooling those kids, she was in a depression and totally overwhelmed. What does he do, why they have another baby, just what she needed and the very thing to push her totally over the edge.
Russell Yates should be in jail also. Yet he has now divorced Andrea and is dating, I think, and looking to start another "Family".
I have seen that guy interviewed and I find him very creepy with that crummy smile of his. This guy is really dangerous and very very Creepy.
She should get a new trial, only if the possibility of a death sentence verdict is included.
"Yet he has now divorced Andrea and is dating, I think, and looking to start another "Family".
That is not good news. Obviously any woman who would go within arms reach of this man is already a little wacky. This does not bode well.
He must be amazingly shallow, er selfish, er, resiliant? He's ready to "move on with his life", eh? I think I'd still be under the bed with the whisky bottle, but maybe I'm just a weak person.
Ooops ...
You are right.
I was thinking of Susan Smith from So. Carolina.
The jury will disregard that remark
As a mother of 5 my self I just can not imagine EVER
doing what she did, no matter how bad, rough, or hard my
day has/had been....
Very very sad/sick.
Lets not forget her multiple suicide attempts, the fact that she was on various anti-psychotic drugs including HALDOL to deal with her psychosis fercryin'outloud. And they were attending a church with a 'I hate you, God hates you, we all hate you because you're all evil!' Minister. I mean, HELLO hubby! Your wife, the woman caring for your children is on the edge!
While I believe that Andrea is culpabable for her actions, I also believe she was and is mentally ill and the idiot just kept pouring gasoline on the fire.
As for being creepy, he even creeped out Ozzie and Sharon Osborne, and that's sayin' a lot!
And she's eligible for parole since Texas doesn't have Life without Parole.
Relax folks, she is not getting out of prison.
That's just it --- she was too methodical --- too cunning and planning. She waited until she had a few minutes alone with the kids --- knowing full well her mother-in-law would be arriving soon so she had to get it done quickly. She waited until the short time she had alone with those poor boys. And to outsiders and family members she would pretend to love those kids.
And she's eligible for parole since Texas doesn't have Life without Parole.
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