Judge: Athens father deserves new trial in baby's death
WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) — An Athens man sentenced to 20 years in prison for the shaking death of his infant daughter is getting a new trial.
Marathon County Circuit Judge Vincent Howard granted Quentin Louis’ request for a new trial, ruling jurors in his 2006 trial did not hear enough debate about shaken baby syndrome or another possible cause of death.
A state appeals court in February 2008 freed former Waunakee daycare provider Audrey Edmunds saying new research cast doubt on her guilt. The court noted some medical experts now doubt babies can be killed by shaking alone.
Louis, now 28, was convicted of first-degree reckless homicide in the March 2005 death of his 4-month-old daughter. An autopsy said the infant died of injuries consistent with shaken baby syndrome.
Information from: Wausau Daily Herald, http://www.wausaudailyherald.com
Aug 30, 2009 at 1:17 a.m.
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eatingtoast-
And you got your medical degree from where???
Aug 20, 2009 at 4:23 p.m.
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karenjis41
I respectfully disagree with you –
The shaken baby theory is junk science!
If you consider vaccinations and medication as child abuse I could agree with you –
If a child's neck was broken or head decapitated it is possible to cause the shaking needed for a brain bleed, detached retinas an eye bleeding. I would also agree with you.
Broken / chipped bones and the SBS triad of symptoms have been linked to vitamin C deficiencies from medications and other medical conditions.
False confessions or misinterpreted statements of Shaken Baby have only muddled the issue. Many parents have stated that they found their baby unresponsive or dead, they tried to gently “shake it to wake it” and they are sent to prison for child abuse. Yes it could happen to anyone!
Aug 19, 2009 at 3:57 p.m.
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It doesn't matter "if other events" can cause SBS. Most of the "other events" are also child abuse!@!@! If you are playing with a baby and you shake it hard enough to detach it's brain, you are abusing that child!!! No if, ands or buts about it!!!!
Aug 19, 2009 at 7:51 a.m.
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Janesvillean: Thanks for that link. The article was quite interesting. If I were sitting in prison after being convicted for SBS, I would definitely want my case revisited. The dangers of SBS are real, but it looks like other events can cause the same outcome.
Aug 19, 2009 at 3:42 a.m.
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I was always taught that the infants can die from coup- contrecoup, the force of the brain slamming into the front then the back of the skull, causing bleeding in the brain. I have a very hard time believing that "shaking alone" could not kill an infant.
Aug 19, 2009 at 1:23 a.m.
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SarahB1, here's a rundown of the debate.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/arti...
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I don't want intentional abusers to go scot free, of course, but the problem is when there is no witness but medical evidence, what does that evidence tell us beyond a reasonable doubt? Additionally, there is much to support the idea that most people who shake babies do not intend to injure or kill them -- they just don't realize how dangerous it is.
Aug 18, 2009 at 11:46 p.m.
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"The court noted some medical experts now doubt babies can be killed by shaking alone." Wow ... that is something I would like to read more about ... it could affect a lot of past and present court cases.
Aug 18, 2009 at 7:34 p.m.
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Now some slick lawyer will get him off .
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