Posted on 03/13/2015 5:56:47 PM PDT by Citizen Zed
HILLSBORO, Oregon — An Oregon father whose 6-month-old daughter died after he left her inside his car at his workplace for six hours will not face criminal charges.
The Oregonian reports (http://is.gd/ZdYV0s ) that a Washington County prosecutor in the Portland suburb of Hillsboro announced that decision Friday.
According to earlier court documents, 38-year-old Intel engineer Joshua Freier told police he had forgotten his daughter, Jillian, was still in the car when he drove to work last October. She was found unresponsive and could not be revived.
Although the car became hot, a medical examiner determined that the baby likely did not die from the heat. An autopsy was inconclusive, but the medical examiner said it's possible that her ability to breathe could have been cut off because of her upright position in her car seat.
Deputy District Attorney Kevin Barton reviewed the case. He had been waiting for evidence analysis at a federal crime lab before making a charging decision.
It's also damn stupid to think one is immune to such a mistake.
How does one forget they have a child?
He probably would have “forgot” the kid was there, too.
Forgetting a purse or a bag or some other inanimate object is normal, but forgetting a baby/child for 6 hours? Not buying it. He’s either stupid, or retarded, or criminal.
Exactly.
And why is that? If this were a mom would it be less understandable or more?
Frankly, I can’t imagine forgetting one’s child for hours. A few minutes, sure, but hours? That ain’t normal.
Fortunately, I’m not one who could ever “forget” I had a child nor forget they were somewhere other than with me for 6 hours! Hours! A few minutes, sure. But, never longer and especially not hours! Why do we continue to excuse this stuff?
There but for the Grace of God I ain’t stupid or retarded because nothing could make a parent FORGET he/she left a kid unattended for hours.
It’s stupid to think one can forget where his/her child is for hours? Sorry, it’s stupid to think a parent who isn’t retarded or on drugs or mentally incapacitated doesn’t know where his/her child is for more than a few seconds. Nobody is that busy.
But did you leave her alone in a car for 6 hours and forget she was there?
Yep. Out of sight is out of mind. Babies play a minor role in the lives of working adults, that's just a fact of life. Men and women are wired differently for survival, too. I come from a very large close family and I was "abandoned," left behind at the seaside for hours once (long story with a happy ending) because of being clean-out forgotten. But loved and cherished just the same, so all this high-and-mighty righteous "punish him!" anger flung at the poor dad (the wife/mother is suffering as much or more) is being flung in a way at my fabulous mom. Harrumph!
The bottom line is that if the guy had been able to put the baby's carseat beside him instead of in the back seat, this baby would probably be alive and well right now, he and his wife would be enjoying the baby's progress, and all the self-righteous outrage exhibited by people who would never do such a thing if it was their child, would have no excuse (not that it does now).
The conservative use of government -- as in, using government with restraint -- would probably have saved not just a baby, but a family here. Things like this are why I am a limited government Christian conservative.
Prayers for the comfort and healing of the parents.
He left his child in a car for six hours and didn’t remember she was there, for six hours. He didn’t think about her for six hours.
But it’s ok because he left her there to go to work? What parent forgets about their child for six hours for any reason?
Wow. What kind of people live in your world?
He forgot he had a child. That says it all.
All I can say is that your experience sounds limited, to me.
Really!
Why or how can anyone forget they have a child? Forget they have a child in the car with them?
Yep, he forgot his kid for 6 hours. I have a hard time comprehending that.
OMG what BS.
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