The mother of the six-year-old Virginia boy who shot his teacher earlier this year in an incident that made national headlines has received a two-year sentence for felony child neglect.
On Friday, Circuit Court Judge Christopher Papile ruled that Deja Taylor should serve two years behind bars for her guilty plea in the incident in which her son used his Taurus 9mm handgun to critically injure Abby Zwerner in her classroom at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News. a story that shocked the nation.
Taylor, who pleaded guilty in August, avoided up to five years in prison but took a plea deal. The two years were stiffer than the six months prosecutors sought under his plea deal in which an additional misdemeanor charge of reckless storage of a firearm was dropped.
(Video: YouTube/13News Now)
Judge Papile found the six months recommended by state sentencing guidelines insufficient for the crime, an abdication of parental responsibilities.
“The ultimate, overarching and overriding and overriding responsibility of the parent, whatever you want to call it, is to keep the child safe,” he said. seconds in the daily press. “To protect the child. To avoid bad influences. To protect them from dangerous situations. To keep them healthy and nourished. Ms. Taylor has abdicated most, if not all, of those responsibilities.”
“The results (of Taylor's child neglect) are glaring,” Papile said, not only the physical and psychological scars on Zwerner, but on other children in the classroom who had to witness the shooting,” reported the medium
On Jan. 6, the boy, whose name has not been released, pulled his mother's gun from her backpack and smashed a cap at Zwerner in front of his first-grade students. Fortunately, the bullet did not kill her but went through her hand in her chest. He is still recovering from injuries from the incident, which likely also caused lasting trauma to the young children who witnessed the violent act.
“We are disappointed with the judge's sentence and believe it was excessive given her mental health issues and the fact that she was a repeated victim of domestic violence,” said Taylor's attorney, James Ellenson. saidportraying his client as a victim.
Last month, in a separate sentencing, Taylor was sentenced to 21 months in prison on federal charges of using marijuana while using a firearm. He must begin serving his state sentence after he finishes serving time under the federal indictment.
“Court documents show police found marijuana at Taylor's home after the shooting. Federal prosecutors in Virginia argued in court documents that Taylor's “chronic, persistent and … life-affecting abuse extend this case far beyond any occasional and/or recreational use.” seconds on the Hill
“This case is not a marijuana case,” prosecutors wrote. “It's a case that underscores the inherently dangerous nature and circumstances that arise from the caustic cocktail of mixing sustained, controlled substance use with a lethal firearm.”
Zwerner, who was the prosecution's only witness, read a statement about the incident and its aftermath.
“My life and my once-loved career have been completely turned upside down,” he said. “I feel like I've lost my purpose. I loved kids, and now I'm afraid to have a job that includes them. I was in love with my career, and now I've been stripped.”
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