Andrea Yates signs over movie, print rights

Associated Press ^ | April 26, 2002 | Associated Press Staff

[MeekOneGOP]

Andrea Yates signs over movie, print rights

04/26/2002

Associated Press

HOUSTON - The Houston woman convicted and sentenced to life in prison for drowning her children has signed over movie and publication rights about her case to her attorney to cover mounting legal fees.

Defense lawyer George Parnham, who visited Andrea Yates on Friday at the Skyview Unit, a psychiatric prison near the East Texas city of Rusk, said he checked with the State Bar of Texas before striking the deal.

"My interest is to protect this woman in every way shape or form possible," Parnham said in an interview with Houston television station KTRK.

Just the cost of buying the trial transcript necessary to pursue an appeal could run between $40,000 and $60,000, Parnham said.

AP

Andrea Yates

"This family does not have, nor do I, those kinds of proceeds," he said.

No one has bought the rights to his client's story yet, Parnham said.

Parnham visited Yates to address family questions about her mental condition and medical treatment since arriving in prison a month ago.

"There has been a change since the last time I was with her. It's not drastic, but it's enough to warrant to see if we can look into it," Parnham said, quickly adding that he was not there to second-guess prison doctors.

"I don't intend to interfere (with treatment) in any way, shape or form," he said.

Yates, who confessed to drowning her five children in a bathtub last June, was convicted March 12 on two capital murder charges. The same jury that found her guilty, rejecting defense pleas that she was innocent by reason of insanity, decided she should be sentenced to life in prison instead of death.

Yates is not eligible for parole until 2041.

---

Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/latestnews/stories/042702dntexchildrenslainrights.7dfca.html

[Buffalo Bob]

Yates is not eligible for parole until 2041.

Or until President HildeBeast pardons her.

[martin_fierro]

I smell a Lifetime Movie Of The Week here somewhere.

[carolinaconservative]

"My interest is to protect this woman in every way shape or form possible," Parnham said in an interview with Houston television station KTRK. Just the cost of buying the trial transcript necessary to pursue an appeal could run between $40,000 and $60,000, Parnham said. What slime this guy is. Why would a paper transcript cost this much? Have paper products gone up that much?

[gunnedah]

This is just another way attorneys manipulate the system.They will get their money regardless.There is no true system of justice in America.The only justice one gets is determined by the amount of money one has or can produce.America has become a cesspool of evil and she will fall because of this.

[Buffalo Bob]

I smell a Lifetime Movie Of The Week here somewhere.

It'l play right after the Lifetime staple,
Not Without My Daughter and will be titled
Not Until I've Drowned My Daughter

[Always Right]

"This family does not have, nor do I, those kinds of proceeds," he said.

What family? Didn't she drown her family. Not having money is the least concern.

[Always Right]

America has become a cesspool of evil and she will fall because of this.

I love your optimism.

[martin_fierro]

I'm thinking the made-for-TV-movie treatment could have a working title of "Bloodbathtime" and that Sean Young could bring her (literally) crazy intensity to the role.

[MeekOneGOP]

That number seemed high to me too. It was a three week trial, tho.

[leilani]

OK, let me get this straight: according to her own attorney, this woman is SOOOOO mentally incompetent she cannot be held respnsible for offing 5 children, let alone brush her own teeth,, but BOY HOWDY, she can nonetheless do h'wood deals with Eisner & Co? Is anybody else out there just a tad suspicious?

[Mid-MI Student]

I always thought that criminals couldn't profit by selling the rights to their stories?

Isn't this illegal for her to do?