Mom Handcuffed, Jailed for Letting 14-Year-Old Babysit Kids During COVID-19

[Brian4Liberty]

Mom Handcuffed, Jailed for Letting 14-Year-Old Babysit Kids During COVID-19
LENORE SKENAZY | 2.8.2022

When COVID-19 shut down her children's daycare in May of 2020, and Melissa Henderson had to go to work, she asked her 14-year-old daughter, Linley, to babysit the four younger siblings. Linley was engaged in remote learning when her youngest brother, four-year-old Thaddeus, spied his friend outside and went over to play with him. It was about 10 or 15 minutes before Linley realized he was missing. She guessed that he must be at his friend's house, and went to fetch him.

In the meantime, the friend's mom had called the police.

Now Henderson, a single mom in Blairsville, Georgia, is facing criminal reckless conduct charges for letting her 14-year-old babysit. The charges carry a maximum penalty of one year in prison and fine of $1,000. The arresting officer, Deputy Sheriff Marc Pilote, wrote in his report that anything terrible could have happened to Thaddeus, including being kidnapped, run over, or "bitten by a venomous snake." (When Henderson protested that the kid was only gone a few minutes, Pilote responded that a few minutes was all the time a venomous snake needed.)
...
The case has been dragging on for almost two years now, while Henderson's lawyer, David DeLugas, argues that charging a mom for a normal parenting decision was declared unconstitutional by the Georgia Supreme Court in 1997.
...
Five cop cars came to her house, Henderson tells Reason.

"I almost don't have words for how low it made me feel," she says. "To truly feel in the bottom of my heart that, if I'm anything, it's a good mother and everything you do is for your kids. To be stripped of that to the point where you are handcuffed in front of them."

She was placed inside a police cruiser and taken to the county jail, where she was photographed, fingerprinted, and given a pair of bright orange crocs to wear. Then she was put in a cell. "I remember curling up in a ball in the corner and just wanting to hide," she says. Her ex-husband bailed her out.

When I spoke with the district attorney, Jeff Langley, he said he felt the cops acted prudently, as the boy had been outside once before on his own. He added that even a guilty verdict would most likely not result in prison time for Henderson, but thought that forbidding her from letting her daughter babysit might be a good idea. "We just want to make sure the children in our small community stay safe," he says.
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More: https://reason.com/2022/02/08/melissa-henderson-babysit-covid-arrest-blairsville/

 

[phill4paul]

Just more bullshit from the government is the parent crowd. Fuck 'em.

 

[Brian4Liberty]

"the friend's mom had called the police"

That stood out. That is no friend or neighbor.

 

[GlennwaldSnowdenAssanged]

The kid could have just as easily gone to friends house with two parents, grand parents, and all siblings home. I wouldn't call that biotch a friend. Would the mom be arrested if she were the caretaker when the kid wandered off? Is it legal to chain or cage children in that town?

 

[TheTexan]

It's illegal for your kids to even go outside.

 

[TheTexan]

"the friend's mom had called the police"

That stood out. That is no friend or neighbor.

I would not have any sympathy for her if it so happened that her house was burned down while her family was out running errands.

 

[dannno]

"the friend's mom had called the police"

That stood out. That is no friend or neighbor.

I would be flabbergasted if she wasn't a Biden voter.

 

[GlennwaldSnowdenAssanged]

Payback? Lure the kid to come and play and call the cops?

Parents should organize and on a particular day they should load of their families and go to the nearest DCF facility and turn over their kids. Millions of parents at the same time show up and say here you take them.

 

[phill4paul]

Payback? Lure the kid to come and play and call the cops?

Parents should organize and on a particular day they should load of their families and go to the nearest DCF facility and turn over their kids. Millions of parents at the same time show up and say here you take them.

Or, maybe, just tar and feather the government scrubs and burn the place to the ground.

 

[jmdrake]

Mom Handcuffed, Jailed for Letting 14-Year-Old Babysit Kids During COVID-19
LENORE SKENAZY | 2.8.2022

You know what's truly messed up about this story? The only reason she had her 14 y/o babysitting is because of the arbitrarily stupid (evil?) decision of the gubmit to declare some jobs "essential" and others not. Okay, hospital workers, firefighters and police officers are essential. I get it. Duncan doughnuts? Well a cop gotta eat right? Walmart? Well...people gotta buy groceries right? Liquor stores? Well drunkards gotta drink right? But who watches all of these "essential workers'" kids? Daycare and schools shut down cause...reasons. Never mind the fact that the even the early data from China showed that kids were neither dying from COVID nor spreading COVID to adults. People would argue you DOWN about the "need" to shut down schools...while going to Walmart where, early on (I remember) there were no masks, no plexiglass shields, and to be honest no social distances. No stickers on the floor saying "Stand here." But...magically....we're supposed to believe that nobody can catch COVID at Walmart. I had one friend to respond "Well kids aren't at Walmart 8 hours a day." Right. BUT THE WALMART ASSOCIATES WERE INCLUDING SOME UNDER THE AGE OF 18! And again, the young were never at risk.

So...back to the story. A mom has to go to work. She can't put her kid in daycare cause of the gubmint, 14 y/o watches the others, 4 year old goes on an adventure, nothing bad happens, busybody Karen freaks out and calls the cops. My parents would have been arrested every other week. I hate what this country has become.

 

[phill4paul]

My parents would have been arrested every other week. I hate what this country has become.

When I was a young tyke I declared I was running away from home. My mom said "Fine. I'll make you a PBJ for your journey. Just remember you are not allowed to cross the road."
So I got on my tricycle and set off. A few hours later, after many adventures, I ended up back home. Hard to go far astray when you live on a block and can't cross the road.
America sure has changed.

 

[jmdrake]

When I was a young tyke I declared I was running away from home. My mom said "Fine. I'll make you a PBJ for your journey. Just remember you are not allowed to cross the road."
So I got on my tricycle and set off. A few hours later, after many adventures, I ended up back home. Hard to go far astray when you live on a block and can't cross the road.
America sure has changed.

Your mother was smart. She knew that even in your moment of rebellion you'd obey her direct commands.

 

[Anti Globalist]

The friend's mom is clearly a piece of shit.

 

[cjm]

"the friend's mom had called the police"

That stood out. That is no friend or neighbor.

That stood out for me too. As bad as AGWs are, having another mundane call them in takes the cake.

I would be flabbergasted if she wasn't a Biden voter.

They hate us for our freedoms. Literally. I'm not on the social media stuff much, but noticed "#Freedumb" on some twitter stuff. They hate freedom and they hate us for exercising it.

The friend's mom is clearly a piece of shit.

No doubt. I've seen a lot of people's true colors come out in the last couple years and realize they always were pieces of shit. The difference now is they have less restraint.

 

[69360]

If a neighbors kid showed up at my house I would just take them home. If I had concerns about the older one watching them, I would just watch them until the parents came home.

My mother would have been in federal prison because every summer starting when I was 10 she went to work and left me to watch my sister all day.