[Tall_Texan]

We have a double standard in our judicial system. It's called "the Mommy defense". It gives women the right to make stupid and dangerous (even life-threatening) choices because she's "a mother" and who are we to judge that? And if they are punished at all, they are given lesser sentences with less prison time if they still have living children in their "care".

Andrea Yates' goof was to kill *all* her kids. If she had only killed three, the "Mommy Defense" would have let her out with a slap on the wrist.

[Brytani]

I agree 100%. A while back, I read a report that showed in all states for the crime of infanticide men were consistently given harsher punishment then women. In many cases, when the crimes were generally equal, women were given probation while men were sentenced to prison time.