Dad Gets 25 Years for Microwaving Baby

drewsilla · 03-26-2008, 05:56 PM

Dad gets 25 years for microwaving baby By JUAN A. LOZANO, Associated Press WriterWed Mar 26, 4:59 PM ET

A jury sentenced a young father Wednesday to 25 years in prison for severely burning his infant daughter after putting her in a microwave and turning it on for up to 20 seconds.

Joshua Mauldin was teary-eyed after hearing the sentence. His mother sobbed loudly in the courtroom.

The jury had convicted Mauldin on Tuesday of felony injury to a child, rejecting his claims that he was insane when he put his daughter Ana in the microwave last year.

Prosecutors had wanted him sentenced to the maximum of life in prison. Still, Galveston County prosecutor Xochitl Vandiver said she was satisfied with the sentence.

"It's extremely important for people to know that just because this case was sensational, it doesn't mean that (child abuse) goes away," she said. "Child abuse is an important issue. It should be focused on."

Sam Cammack III, Mauldin's attorney, had asked jurors to consider his client's long history of mental illness and sentence him to probation so he could be treated at a hospital.

"He still doesn't get the treatment for mental illness that he needs," Cammack said. "He's not going to get that in prison."

Jurors deliberated for 6 1/2 hours over two days before sentencing Mauldin. They also fined him $10,000.

Prosecutors said Mauldin hurt his daughter because he was angry that he was in a loveless marriage. They also said Mauldin had a history of violence and of lying about being mentally ill to get out of trouble.

Mauldin claimed he started hallucinating when he was left alone in a Galveston hotel room with his daughter, feeling like mud was running up his body and consuming him.

Just before putting her in the room's microwave, he punched the then 2-month-old child and placed her in the room's safe and refrigerator.

Mauldin at first told police his daughter had been severely sunburned, later changing his story and saying he had accidentally spilled hot water on her while making coffee.

Ana suffered second- and third-degree burns to her left ear, cheek, hand and shoulder and required two skin grafts. Part of her left ear had to be amputated.

Joanie Mauldin pleaded for mercy, saying her son did not know what he was doing.

The girl's foster mother, Heather Croxton, told jurors Ana, now 1, screams during the daily process of cleaning the wounds and endures physical therapy five days a week.

Croxton, whose husband is a step-cousin to the girl's mother, Eva Mauldin, said she hopes to adopt Ana.

A trial to terminate the Mauldins' parental rights is scheduled for April. Eva Mauldin refused defense attorneys' requests to testify and lives in Arkansas.

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There are just no words for this.

Godslayer Jillian · 03-26-2008, 06:13 PM

In soviet russia, microwaves baby you!

††BlackRose†† · 03-26-2008, 06:13 PM

I have to agree with you. There really are no words for this.
Microwaved a baby?
That's just.... wow.

Pantherlette086 · 03-26-2008, 07:08 PM

DAMN! What the hell? I don't understand people these days. I wish they'd still have the "eye for an eye" punishment sometimes.

TopHaggardDoll · 03-26-2008, 07:49 PM

My God...I am actually speechless.

Jaye Jang · 03-26-2008, 08:16 PM

That's just sick.

KontanKarite · 03-26-2008, 08:20 PM

Dude. Seriously. That's perfectly insane.

Holy shit. What the fuck drove him to microwave a baby?

Insanity pleas... They're always insanity pleas when people do such crazy shit like this.

Holy damn.

Graveyard.Crow · 03-27-2008, 05:00 PM

Okay
this would have been funny if it didn't really happen
But lol at Jillian's soviet remark

LaBelleDameSansMerci · 03-27-2008, 05:19 PM

*blink* That's..... mind-boggling. I hope the kid does well...

AngelikDemonik · 03-27-2008, 05:33 PM

Poor kid...

ionic_angel · 03-27-2008, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KontanKarite

Dude. Seriously. That's perfectly insane.

Holy shit. What the fuck drove him to microwave a baby?

Insanity pleas... They're always insanity pleas when people do such crazy shit like this.

Holy damn.

Er, yes. Typically one of the hallmarks of insanity is insane behavior. Thus, insanity pleas.

Of course, it can be difficult to separate insanity from pure, unadulterated evil.

Minyaliel · 03-28-2008, 12:16 AM

*shakes head in disbelief and wanders off to mourn the world*

KontanKarite · 03-28-2008, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ionic_angel

Er, yes. Typically one of the hallmarks of insanity is insane behavior. Thus, insanity pleas.

Of course, it can be difficult to separate insanity from pure, unadulterated evil.

Save the snark. I was eluding to the idea that EVERYONE pleads insanity when they decide to do incredibly stupid shit.

I'm willing to wager that he's actually doing an evil act.

Nevan · 03-28-2008, 12:36 AM

*suddenly feels this great urge to hum the 'happy tree friends' theme song...*

God, I'm sick.

DeathToLems · 03-28-2008, 06:38 AM

He also punched her and locked her in the safe and fridge...wtf!

Thats so sad.

IsolatedReptile · 03-28-2008, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pantherlette086

DAMN! What the hell? I don't understand people these days. I wish they'd still have the "eye for an eye" punishment sometimes.

Well then the world would be blind, and we'd not be a step further. Once we have no eyes, what is there to do? Try to blindly shove each other in microwaves?

Jailing him seems appropriate, but twenty five years hardly seems to be enough. Then I stopped to ponder the fine of $10,000 and I have to wonder if it goes to the family to help with the medical bills, or if that goes to the state. Either way, a life sentence seems too good but would have been much more fair in my opinion than twenty five years. Something tells me this is going to scar that little kid for a lot longer than twenty five years.

GothicChristian · 03-28-2008, 08:23 AM

I think that they should put him down, like they do dogs that bite people. It's not like anyone who could do something so cruel to something so innocent has any humanity left; he may as well be treated like the inhuman thing he is.
Seriously, we kill dogs for bitting someone for antagonizing them, but we give men who microwave babies 25 years in prison. Does anyone see whats wrong in this picture?
I've lost my hope in the world. =/

IsolatedReptile · 03-28-2008, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GothicChristian

I think that they should put him down, like they do dogs that bite people. It's not like anyone who could do something so cruel to something so innocent has any humanity left; he may as well be treated like the inhuman thing he is.
Seriously, we kill dogs for bitting someone for antagonizing them, but we give men who microwave babies 25 years in prison. Does anyone see whats wrong in this picture?
I've lost my hope in the world. =/

As horribly as what he did was, what would we solve or demonstrate by doing to him as well? If my government can decide to kill people for crimes, why can't I shoot someone for crimes against me?

Secondly, a human being is not a dog. It's horrible to compare any human to a dog that seriously, and in that context.

blackwater1110 · 03-28-2008, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GothicChristian

I think that they should put him down, like they do dogs that bite people. It's not like anyone who could do something so cruel to something so innocent has any humanity left; he may as well be treated like the inhuman thing he is.
Seriously, we kill dogs for bitting someone for antagonizing them, but we give men who microwave babies 25 years in prison. Does anyone see whats wrong in this picture?
I've lost my hope in the world. =/

Makes perfect sense to me. Of course, it's predicated on a pretty rosy picture of humanity. I've still got faith in humanity, but it's more of a faith that they're going to fuck things up. Though I wonder, even if he's batshit crazy, it doesn't really change much; treating him would be good but if can have hallucination that cause him to microwave babies, he'd still be a danger to society.

Maggoty Anne · 03-28-2008, 09:24 AM

Dear drewsilla,

That's horrible. Whats even worse is that I can't make myself care. Not that i'm a sociopathic monster that thinks microwaving babies is fun, but I see examples of how horrible and violent people are so often I'm totally desensitised to stuff like this. And now I feel guilty for not feeling disgusted. Garhh.. I guess what I'm getting at is that I wish stuff like this didn't happen so often that I don't care anymore.

Confusedly yours,
M.A.

GothicChristian · 03-28-2008, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackwater1110

Makes perfect sense to me. Of course, it's predicated on a pretty rosy picture of humanity. I've still got faith in humanity, but it's more of a faith that they're going to fuck things up. Though I wonder, even if he's batshit crazy, it doesn't really change much; treating him would be good but if can have hallucination that cause him to microwave babies, he'd still be a danger to society.

It said he had a history of claiming insanity to get out of trouble, did it not? So, clearly, he's sane enough to know that claiming to be insane gets you out of a lot.

blackwater1110 · 03-28-2008, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GothicChristian

It said he had a history of claiming insanity to get out of trouble, did it not? So, clearly, he's sane enough to know that claiming to be insane gets you out of a lot.

Probably so. I'm pretty sure he's just pure evil, but like I said, even if he's crazy, that doesn't change his propensity for doing evil things.

ionic_angel · 03-28-2008, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KontanKarite

Save the snark. I was eluding to the idea that EVERYONE pleads insanity when they decide to do incredibly stupid shit.

I'm willing to wager that he's actually doing an evil act.

Oh, come on. I wasn't making fun of you. Just trying to have a little fun in general.

But, yeah, I'd go with evil too.

beauismyhorse · 03-28-2008, 04:24 PM

Whatever they do to him on Earth, he's going to get burns much more severe than the innocent infant's when he dies. If he does turn around and see that he's done wrong, the guilt will ruin the rest of his life, although it won't be comparable to the devastated life of the baby.

CptSternn · 03-29-2008, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GothicChristian

Seriously, we kill dogs for bitting someone for antagonizing them, but we give men who microwave babies 25 years in prison.

Whats this 'we' stuff? As per our discussion in another thread here and in the politics section, only America kills people. Europe, Australia, and pretty much all of the rest of the first world rank state sponsored executions up there with murder.