CrimProf Henry Karlson Discusses Smothered Baby Case

From indystar.com: Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis CrimProf Henry Karlson discusses the case of an Indianapolis woman accused of smothering her son by passing out on top of him began drinking gin as much as 12 hours earlier.

Marion County prosecutors filed a single neglect charge Friday against Latasha McMorris. A few hours earlier, the sobbing mother had her first court appearance.

McMorris, 24, now faces the prospect of 20 to 50 years in prison if she is convicted of causing the death of her 2-year-old son. Sheldon Bartley Jr. died about an hour after McMorris' boyfriend found him beneath her just after midnight Wednesday at an Eastside motel.

CrimProf Henry Karlson rejected the idea that the incident was an accident."A drunken driver who travels at 150 mph and hits a school bus and kills children -- is that an accident?" Karlson said. "I think they charged this case the correct way." Rest of Article. . . [Mark Godsey]