Today s Finalist in the Mother of the Year Contest

Des Moines Register ^ | 04/24/02 | Mark Seibert

[Phantom Lord]

A woman accused of having sex Monday morning in a parked car in downtown Burlington also faces charges of child endangerment.

Burlington police were dispatched about 9 a.m. to North Main Street - not far from the police station - after a caller reported two people were naked in a car.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Quick, have the federal government pay them to get married -- then they'll be a stable family and good parents to the little boy!

[07055]

Huston was charged with indecent exposure and driving while barred

Aren't these two charges really the same thing? ;-)

[Phantom Lord]

Aren't these two charges really the same thing? ;-)

I would say technically no. But one is likely to be thrown out and the other persued. Obviously the indicent exposure could happen while standing on your porch. But the driving while barred can only happen while driving.

[VRWC_minion]

Can any libertarins explain why this woman should be arrested and jailed ?

[GovernmentShrinker]

Sure, happy to oblige. The woman and the man were on public property, where reasonable community standards can be applied without violating anyone's rights (and for something like this, being on private property in plain view of public property or someone else's private property would count too). Liberty does not confer a right to infringe on other people's normal use of public property, and reasonable people would find this to be an infringement.

Furthermore, at least the woman (we don't know anything about the man's relationship to the child) is endangering the child by dumping him unattended on a public street to fend for himself. I've never heard even the most extreme libertarians suggest that adults have no responsibility whatsoever for the young children they produce or voluntarily take charge of.

[VRWC_minion]

The consenting adults were in a auto which shields others view and the child wasn't harmed. Who is to say the child was endangered. Nothing happened to him. In fact, the police apparently were around to see to the child's well being.

[IronJack]

Actually, I think the greater crime is owning a 1989 Chrysler LeBaron.

[GovernmentShrinker]

If the car shielded the view, then how did someone happen to call the police to report two naked people in a car? And I think there's a reasonable presumption that an unaccompanied 18-month-old wandering public streets is in imminent danger. The police weren't around when the kid was dumped out of the car for the adults' convenience.

[Trust but Verify]

How 'bout this one:

Couple Charged With Sex Crimes

CNI Newspapers

A West Allis (WI) man and his girlfriend have been charged with first degree sexual assault and causing a child to view or hear sexual activity.

The child in the case, an 11-year-old girl, is the woman's daughter.

David Hughes, 33, a resident of the 2000 of S 77th St, and the girl's mother, who is not being named to protect the girl's identity, reportedly exposed the girl to pornographic videos at Hughes' house, a criminal complaint states.

The girl told police that many times when she went to Hughes' house, he would be naked and would, at times, masturbate while she was in the room.

The complaint states that the girl's mother, 43, told police that any time she wanted to go to Hughes' house, he insisted she bring the girl with her.

The woman reportedly told police she knew taking her daughter to Hughes' home was a mistake, but did it because she wanted to see him.

Hughes and the girl's mother are in custody at the Criminal Justice Facility. They will make a preliminary court appearance this week. Each could spend up to 75 years in prison if convicted of all charges.