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Mom on Trial for Leaving Child in Car for Minutes
Fox News ^ | 03-12-2008

Posted on 03/12/2008 12:53:40 PM PDT by Southerngl

Case of Illinois Mother on Trial for Leaving Child in Car for Minutes Sparks Debate CHICAGO — Treffly Coyne was out of her car for just minutes and no more than 10 yards away. But that was long and far enough to land her in court after a police officer spotted her sleeping 2-year-old daughter alone in the vehicle; Coyne had taken her two older daughters to pour $8.29 in coins into a Salvation Army kettle. Minutes later, she was under arrest — the focus of both a police investigation and a probe by the state's child welfare agency. Now the case that has become an Internet flash point for people who either blast police for overstepping their authority or Coyne for putting a child in danger. The 36-year-old suburban mother is preparing to go on trial Thursday on misdemeanor charges of child endangerment and obstructing a peace officer. If convicted, she could be sentenced to a year in jail and fined $2,500, even though child welfare workers found no credible evidence of abuse or neglect. On Dec. 8 Coyne decided to drive to Wal-Mart in the Chicago suburb of Crestwood so her children and a young friend could donate the coins they'd collected at her husband's office.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: endangerment
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To: Southerngl

This is just another stupid law. If the child died then prosecute for negligence, manslaughter, or whatever. If we had a law for every stupid thing people do, every person would be in jail. The loss of a child is probably the highest price to pay.


41 posted on 03/12/2008 1:38:36 PM PDT by vets son
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To: Southerngl

It wasn’t even a time when the heat could cook the child in minutes. Go figure...all the parents who’s children die in hot cars that are getting less than a slap on the wrist!


42 posted on 03/12/2008 1:53:46 PM PDT by trussell
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To: aruanan

I got it form the Struttmans.


43 posted on 03/12/2008 1:54:10 PM PDT by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: Southerngl

Cops are idiots... I have almost no respect for them any more. Not only the asshats who pull a lady in for something like this, but the others as well for not walking up to these clowns and telling them they are assholes...

Maybe I’ll see a legitimate rebellion in my days left...


44 posted on 03/12/2008 1:57:40 PM PDT by sit-rep
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To: massgopguy

grow up...


45 posted on 03/12/2008 1:58:30 PM PDT by sit-rep
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To: massgopguy

Would you transport a million dollars in a car?


46 posted on 03/12/2008 2:00:55 PM PDT by HundredDollars
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To: Southerngl

This is insane. All officials involved in this travesty should be arrested, and have all their assets seized.


47 posted on 03/12/2008 2:05:42 PM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: aruanan

>>I heard her attorney on WLSAM. I think they’re going to bore the officer another poopchute.<<

And wal-mart, I suspect.


48 posted on 03/12/2008 2:06:42 PM PDT by RobRoy (I'm confused. I mean, I THINK I am, but I'm not sure. But I could be wrong about that.)
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To: Rio

Absolutely 100% Not Guilty!


49 posted on 03/12/2008 2:07:06 PM PDT by dfwgator (11+7+15=3 Heismans)
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To: Rio

Not guilty.


50 posted on 03/12/2008 2:07:48 PM PDT by KC_Conspirator
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To: massgopguy

Back in 1958, my mother left me in our 1956 oldsmobile to go into the local grocery store. The car was angle parked in front. There was a slight incline away from the store. While I was waiting, I saw the guy in the next car over get in, start the car, and slip it into gear to back out.

I was four at the time.

I went over to the drivers seat and pulled on the auto transmission lever on the steering collumn (no lockouts in those days), and the car started slowly backing out. I had the presence of mind to turn the wheel hard to the left and the car ended up just sitting in the middle of the rows of cars. Naturally my mom was a little panicked when she came out.

But she was almost to doting of a mother and was just doing what people sometimes do. It is how accidents happen - and they happen to everyone.

If we had a camera following every single person in this country around everywhere they went and saw every thing they did, the entire nation would be in prison. I firmly believe that.

The cops and nanny state need to find a much better happy medium between protecting us and giving us autonomy. We are not children, althoug sometimes we act like it. But that is not their concern unless it affects others for whom we are not responsible. This excludes our kids since for them we are responsibile.

That means no seat belt laws. No car seat laws, no smoking laws and no helmet laws.

But hey, that’s just me.

Who is John Galt?


51 posted on 03/12/2008 2:14:39 PM PDT by RobRoy (I'm confused. I mean, I THINK I am, but I'm not sure. But I could be wrong about that.)
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To: Rio
"What is the verdict?"

When the perp is really being screwed over by the government, the usual FR standards for guilt or innocence are a bit unfair. (Although even under those demanding standards she's clearly not guilty)

52 posted on 03/12/2008 2:18:28 PM PDT by joebuck (Finitum non capax infinitum!)
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To: massgopguy
Last year there were 900 incidents where children were left unattended in vehicles. Over 200 of them died.

Define "left unattended." I don't think a period of "unattended" begins until the guardian actually leaves the vicinity of the car.

53 posted on 03/12/2008 2:19:10 PM PDT by BlazingArizona
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To: massgopguy
No. There were 900 recorded incidents. My guess is that the actual number of occurrences was several orders of magnitude higher.

So the inference the government wants you to draw, that 2/9 such children die, is false.

54 posted on 03/12/2008 2:38:09 PM PDT by pierrem15 (Charles Martel: past and future of France)
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To: RobRoy
And wal-mart, I suspect.

Wal-Mart doesn't bear responsibility for the actions of city cops on its property. There were three other kids that were left behind at Wal-Mart when the cop took her away.
55 posted on 03/12/2008 2:42:01 PM PDT by aruanan
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To: Southerngl
This is the result of egalitanianism taken to a fault.

Since we are all equal under the law, so goes the argument...

But it takes a special, quite common, form of intelligence to exercise common sense.

But people implicitly inferior in that department have the equal "right" to become legislators, judges and law-enforcement officers.

Then the ILCD kicks in. Intellectual Least Common Denominator.

This woman is guilty only of assuming that she lives in a rational world.

I hope there is a defense fund for her that we can all contribute to if we choose.

56 posted on 03/12/2008 2:43:48 PM PDT by Publius6961 (MSM: Israelis are killed by rockets; Lebanese are killed by Israelis.)
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To: aruanan

I thought it was basically a security guard that started the whole thing.


57 posted on 03/12/2008 2:47:13 PM PDT by RobRoy (I'm confused. I mean, I THINK I am, but I'm not sure. But I could be wrong about that.)
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To: massgopguy
Would you leave a million dollars in a car?

I can see where you're going with this and it's silly.
I hope nobody bites...

58 posted on 03/12/2008 2:48:35 PM PDT by Publius6961 (MSM: Israelis are killed by rockets; Lebanese are killed by Israelis.)
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To: RobRoy
I thought it was basically a security guard that started the whole thing.

Well, in that case... Still, it's ironic that the cop hauls the mom away for being 10 yards away from her car that is in view because one kid is there and causes several other children to become completely abandoned.
59 posted on 03/12/2008 2:52:53 PM PDT by aruanan
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To: massgopguy
I apologize.
I missed the part where the mom left the car running...

I wish I were as perceptive as you.

Keeping the discussion relevant.

60 posted on 03/12/2008 2:57:22 PM PDT by Publius6961 (MSM: Israelis are killed by rockets; Lebanese are killed by Israelis.)
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