2nd Degree Murder

Second Degree Murder No one could think of why Mary would do the unimaginable by harming her own baby. Mary Barnett, a single mother of a six-month-old baby girl who resides in Chicago wanted to visit her fiancé in California. She made plane reservations and left her six-month-old baby girl Alison in her apartment alone. Seven days later she returned to find her baby had died of dehydration. She informed the police and reported that she had left her baby with a baby-sitter. Later she changed her story and told the police that she knew that she left Alison behind and she did not plan to come back. She is being charged with second-degree murder without premeditation. My job as a juror is to try her case and decide on whether or not she is guilty, if she's convicted she will face up to eight years in jail. I find the defendant Mary Barnett guilty of second-degree murder.

[Portrait of Imogene Coca, Mary Lou Williams, and ...

[Mary, Queen of Scots] (LOC)

Mary Hoyt Wiborg - Claire Bird - Leta Pell Wright,...

As I sat in the court listening to the evidence and defense of this case I couldn't believe my ears. Caroline Hospers, Mary's neighbor stated in her testimony that "Mary was unfit to be a mother."� She noted that Mary often has wild parties in her apartment and her garbage is always full of empty liqueur bottles. Being Mary's neighbor Caroline has the most concern for the baby and she doesn't feel that Mary has done a good job in the role being a mother. Caroline felt that the baby was not being properly cared for and Mary was very irresponsible. Caroline's testimony showed the poor judgment of Mary and how she neglected Alison, however in Mary's case partying and drinking took priority instead.

Policeman A is one of the officers called on January 30th to the defendant's apartment. He told...