Chapter 23 - THE VERDICT
The jury acquitted Bernice of the felony child-endangerment count.
At first, I felt angry.
Then listened.
The statute required proof of a higher degree of reckless exposure to serious physical harm than the jury found beyond reasonable doubt given uncertain causation, the viral trigger, and the fact that Bernice often eventually administered rescue care.
Fine.
Guilty:
Misdemeanor medical neglect/endangerment for intentionally deviating from prescribed treatment and concealing it.
Guilty:
Misdemeanor child endangerment/battery-related count for unsafe hospital handling causing Elodie to fall.
Not guilty:
Felony.
Mixed.
Accurate.
At sentencing, Dr. Levin submitted impact summary.
Elodie:
Fear of being disbelieved.
Apologizing for symptoms.
Anxiety around medication requests.
Improving.
No permanent physical injury attributable solely to Bernice established.
Good.
I did not ask for prison.
The prosecutor recommended short custody or home confinement plus probation.
Bernice spoke.
“I believed toughness meant waiting.”
Then:
“I believed if a child survived discomfort, the discomfort had taught something.”
She looked at me.
“I used Griffin as proof.”
My chest tightened.
“He survived me.”
Then:
“That is not the same as my methods being good.”
There.
The judge imposed:
Four months home confinement with electronic monitoring rather than jail due age, no prior record, limited physical injury, acceptance at trial.
Two years probation.
No unsupervised caregiving of minors during probation.
No authority over Elodie’s medication.
No contact with Elodie except by family court/therapeutic approval.
Child-safety education.
No access to school or medical portals.
That was enough.
No dramatic imprisonment.
No destroyed life.
May you like
A consequence that restricted exactly what she had misused:
Unsupervised authority.
