Woman Condemned

Several women are facing serious charges in the country this month. Any one of whom could go on to be convicted and given a cell on death row. 43-year-old Anna Castagna of New Jersey has been charged with first degree murder in the antifreeze poisoning death of her grandmother-in-law. Anna and her husband had lived with hi grandmother for over a decade and she was the elderly woman's caregiver. While the elderly woman was in a rehab center recovering from a fall, Anna visited her with a drink containing antifreeze. She drank it and went into a coma from which she never recovered.  Investigators  have found evidence of Anna researching the effects of antifreeze when ingested by the elderly. There is no definite motive established yet. Lois Ann Goodman, 70 , is being  arraigned  for the April death of her husband this week.  80-year-old Alan Frederick Goodman was killed by bludgeoning him to death with a coffee mug. Lois is a tennis referee and wh...

Utah is pissed. They have figured out that capital punishment is just to damn expensive and who can afford to waste money in this day and age? Usually Utah has about 10 death penalty cases a year. Those 10 cases alone    cost the state approximately $690,800 over and above the projected legal costs if they were prosecuted without the death penalty. They  also cost local governments an estimated $460,000 per year for prosecutors and public defenders. "Capital cases were 0.0008 percent of my total caseload, but yet it was probably 10 percent of my budget,"    said Patrick Anderson, of the Salt Lake Legal Defenders Association.  "That’s just talking about the trial. That’s not the appellate aspect of it." Why on earth would anyone knowingly do something so horrendously stupid? The state representatives realize how asinine this is but they also realize how people get caught up in the specifics of the case and decide that death is the only solut...

Marianne Bordt, 73, drowned her 5 year old grandson,  Camden Hiers, in a Florida beach house bathroom in 2010 and could face execution. Her attorneys say she was legally insane before and at the time of the incident.  Granted, a death sentence is unlikely for someone of her age with no previous criminal record but there is a chance nonetheless. Since Ms. Bordt is a German, Germany has become interested in the case. The country has no death penalty. The initial hearing is scheduled for Friday but very well may end in no trial at all, only a settlement from some sort of plea deal. However,  David Hiers, the boys father and  Bordt's former son-in-law is pushing for a trial. He feels that is the only way he will find out the details of the boys death. Heirs divorced Bordt's daughter about 3 years ago and says her claims of insanity are just that, insane. He claims to have never distrusted her and says he never saw any signs of insanity in her in all the years he ...

In recent years the argument against female inmates wearing shackles during childbirth has gained momentum. Only 16 of the states currently have limits on the use of shackles. We are basically the only civilized country that forces women inmates to give birth in this manner. First of all, why? Is there a flight risk from a woman with a child hanging out of her vagina? If that didn't stop her from shooting the gap the brilliantly sharp labor pains or perhaps the few pints of blood gushing down her legs may do the trick. And what of those who get an epidural and are basically paralyzed from the waist down for hours after birth? They need shackles too? Over 80 female inmates from Cook County Illinois brought suit against the county for atrocities occurring while shackled during child birth. The county agreed to pay 4.1 million to the women but clearly stated they did it only for expediency sake and felt they did no wrong doing and then had the balls t...

I got a weird letter from Shonda Johnson in Alabama today. I was surprised to get it since I just got one last week and when I opened it the first thing that came out was another stamped and addressed envelope. Shonda's letter went on to say that this was a letter from another girl on death row Tierra Gobble. It was to her mental health counselor because she believes the documents given to the guards are thrown away. . Shonda said she believed she did probably need to see  this counselor because Tierra is "out of her mind. Bat Shit Crazy". So I will mail this letter for Tierra. So she could be an interesting one to write but then again, I dont want a replay of what happened with the women in PA. THAT was a nightmare.(and the basis for my eBook Bitches...see right sidebar top). The crazy ones are a learning experience which is fun but often cause a lot of aggravation. Tierra accidentally killed her son after losing her temper. ...

I've had a bad week and it's just Thursday. Matthew Perkins was sentenced Monday. He took the offered plea of 3 life sentences to avoid a lengthy trial and a chance at death  and to spare the family more pain. My heart breaks for that family and for Stephanie and her boys. Imagining the events of that terrible night will  bring any thinking person to tears. It is an indescribable tragedy. Adding to this tragedy is the fact that Matthew is not a monster. Many people will take solace in the pain he goes through everyday. Guilt, regret and confusion rule every minute of every day for Matt. He has no explanations because he is still looking for them. How can a decorated soldier come home from war so sick and no one care? How can the country he fought for turn their backs on him after he sacrificed his life and his sanity to them? I've often heard it said that you can take the soldier out of the war but you cant take the war out of the soldier. I've never seen a more...