Criminal charges generally require intent, not necessarily to achieve the outcome, but at least to do the act that led to the outcome. There is simply no evidence here that the woman intentionally left the child in the car. This is why any conviction that might have been obtained at trial “would have certainly been overturned on appeal”.
“Criminal charges generally require intent,”
not when you’re talking about laws dealing with negligence, as in “criminal negligence.”
There does seem to be a question of intent here.
The 5 trips to the car and then moving it to another part of the lot is very odd.
Lots of criminal charges require intent and plenty, like manslaughter, do not.