Sure, I'd give him probation. And his kids back. He just needs some parenting classes.

How can his attorneys ask for this with a straight face?

Sometimes it's about keeping your client from filing a grievance. And on more than one occasion I've had defendants plead open to the court in the hopes that, even as an habitual offender, they will get deferred because "I've never had drug counseling and that is my problem."

Doesn't really matter, Rachel, as the jury came back with 14 life sentences for the defendant. Looks like the jury thought as much of that argument as you do.

Great job, Heather and Sherry!

And likewise, a great job by Susie Morton and co. in Fort Bend County with their capital life on a baby murderer.

We all know these cases that involve assaults on and murders of children are often difficult to prosecute in a legal and factual sense, and are difficult to prosecute in terms of stress and secondary wounding on the prosecutor as well.

These prosecution professionals who are our collegues have our deepest respect for giving a voice to the victims who cannot speak for themselves.

I agree. Great job to the prosecutors who worked so hard on a case that I can only imagine was difficult and emotional the whole way through. Just reading about the facts is tough.

Way to stand up for the kids!!!

WOW! A four minute verdict. Must be some excellent trial lawyering going on in Smith County!


Organizer of sex club involving kids gets life sentence
TYLER � A jury again needed just four minutes Thursday to convict an organizer of an East Texas swinger's club where prosecutors say young children were forced to perform sexual acts for an audience.

Shauntel Mayo, 29, was then sentenced to life in prison after six minutes of deliberations after being found guilty on charges that she forced three siblings, ages 7 through 10, to have sex with each other or perform sexual acts for club members who paid to watch.

In March, Mayo's 36-year-old boyfriend, Jamie Pittman, was also found guilty in four minutes and then sentenced to life in prison after just two minutes of deliberations.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5766099.html

Thanks for the support. Heather and I are so pleased with the outcome b/c we always believed that this defendant deserved life in prison for what he did to these kids.

It was a great day when we got to take the children in to meet the jury after the verdict--not a dry eye in the room.

Just an FYI, the defense called Dr. Matt Ferrara to testify during guilt/innocence. Dr. Ferrara testified that b/c the defendant was abused as a child, he had "less choices" available to him than other people and was incapable of forming any culpable mental state above "criminal negligence", so therefore the defendant should only be convicted of a state jail felony. Thankfully, the jury took this for the junk science that it is and convicted him of all first degree felonies.

Last Thursday was a great day in Hays County for victims of child abuse.