I read Laura Armstrong's column regarding the wronged Cobb mother. I would like to remind her that she was convicted by a jury of her peers who had been presented with the facts. All of the facts. Not just those presented by the defendant, to the media, putting her own spin on them. Just one of the things she didn't say is a witness heard her threaten to throw one of her children in front of a car minutes before the accident. She also did not share how dangerous the conditions were to which she chose to subject her children. The jurors were able to weigh all the facts without consideration to media smears and political fallout.
I understand that Mrs. Armstrong is a mother and identifies with other mothers. However, I am sure she doesn't run around putting her children in harm's way with reckless abandon as this mother did. I caution her as a mother to be careful with which mothers you cast your lot. Obviously, the mere ability to procreate does not make one a good and responsible parent. Furthermore, I admonish her as a journalist for not making the minimal effort necessary to check the facts and accepting part and parcel the deliberately sensational portrayals on morning talk shows. I understand Mrs. Armstrong is a columnist and writes mostly opinion pieces. However, with her privilege of presenting her opinions to the community comes the responsibility for them to be informed opinions.
Dawn R. Levine
Marietta
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People, remember:
-she was convicted of HOMICIDE!!!!
-she was NOT convicted of jaywalking!
Your police and prosecutors have mis-applied the law under which they charged/prosecuted/convicted Ms. Nelson.
If you think that those painted white lines on the ground would have made things different, well then, I am going to put you on my list of people known to not do a whole lot of thinking.
Letting her get off totally free is not correct, when other people have done similliar crimes and been found guilty and served time. Putting her in jail is not necessarily the solution, because then the taxpayers have to house her and keep up her children, but she could do some community service, serve probation, etc. I believe this is what Judge Tanksley has done.
Frankly, I believe most fair minded people realize Ms. Nelson should never have been called to judgment by a jury of her "peers". This lady should never have been charged or prosecuted under the statue she was convicted of violating. A jury should never have been empaneled to hear her case. No juror should ever have been required to hear this case against Ms. Nelson.
Anyone with a grain of common sense (I know, seems to exclude government type folks these days) knows that the legislature surely had no intention of using this statue to hold jaywalking mothers whose young children are run over by a hit and run driver responsible to account for homicide of their young baby.
This is just another sad example of how our county law enforcement resources are being used to "keep Cobb safe". It is a sad commentary on how little commonsense and decency our police force and solicitors use while on the clock on behalf of Cobb county taxpayers/citizens. The prosecution of Ms Nelson was a waste of taxpayer money and an embarrassment for the citizens of Cobb County.
As for Ms. Nelson being judged by her "peers"...it may not be so clear that Ms. Nelson was actually tried by a jury of her peers.