Andrea Yates Getting New Trial

[Mimi Q]

Do you think she should be getting a new trial? Here's a link to the story:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/09/national/09cnd-yates.html

 

[marybet]

Yes I do. That woman needs to be in a hospital getting the help she needs. I never thought she should go to prison.

 

[transparant]

I have no sympathy for her whatsoever. I hope and pray she NEVER see's the light of day again.

 

[PRINCESS VIJA]

NO way! She killed her kids. KILLED THEM! No sympathy what so ever. Her kids will never get a second chance at life. Neither should she.

 

[4cruisin]

She should be in a hospital getting intensive treatment and her moron husband should be on death row. The guy was abusive and pushed her over the edge. She never should have had that last child and should never have been left alone with them in the mental state she was in.

 

[RadioNate]

Andrea Yates' guily or insanity aside, an expert witness was "mistaken" while testifying. Did he lie on purpose? Only he knows but it was definately fishy and is grounds for a new trial so yes I think she should get a new trial, one where prosecution witness aren't "mistaken" about the facts.

That's the American justice system and no matter how you feel about the accused they are promised a fair trial.

 

[palmtreegirl]

I have no sympathy for her whatsoever. I hope and pray she NEVER see's the light of day again.

I agree.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

Do I think she deserves a new trial? Yes, since the outcome of her last trial was influenced by false testimony. Of course she deserves a new trial. Every criminal deserves a trial.

Do I think she should be found guilty and given another life sentence? yes

 

[momof3disneyholics]

No, that woman needs to stay where she is at, behind bars for the rest of her life.

 

[Houstonmom]

I don't think she deserves a new trial either. What she did goes against everything a woman knows about being a mom, all the natural instincts to protect your children, not drown them! I hope someone finds a nice deep bath tub for her in prison!

 

[Tigger_Magic]

Andrea Yates' guily or insanity aside, an expert witness was "mistaken" while testifying. Did he lie on purpose? Only he knows but it was definately fishy and is grounds for a new trial so yes I think she should get a new trial, one where prosecution witness aren't "mistaken" about the facts.

That's the American justice system and no matter how you feel about the accused they are promised a fair trial.

For good or for ill, that's the way things work in the U.S. I doubt it will be hard to find a jury that will convict her again.

 

[missypie]

I don't think it matters to her. When she's not being treated, she's nuts; when she is being treated she's suicidal because she realizes what she's done. She'll live out her punishment for the rest of her life, no matter where she is.

I guess it's fine if she has a new trial if it will bring more attention to this issue. I've always said I was on the side of the kids. WE HAVE GOT TO FIGURE OUT A BETTER WAY TO DETERMINE WHO IS NUTS ENOUGH TO KILL THEIR KIDS AND EITHER TREAT THEM OR TAKE THE KIDS AWAY BEFORE IT HAPPENS!!!

There is SO much blame to go around in this case. She WAS being treated. Did no professional ever say "Don't leave this woman alone with her children??!!!" Instead, she was alone with them all day every day. If Andrea had been severely ill with something like end stage cancer or ALS, she would not have been left alone with her kids becasue she would not have been pynsically able to take care of them. How are we to detect those who are not mentally competent to take care of their children? How many more times does it have to happen?

 

[Chicago526]

I don't know why people have such a hard time realizing that this woman is C R A Z Y. In this country, we don't hold the mentally ill accountable for their actions. Does this mean she should ever be free? No. But she should be in a secure treatment center, not prison.

Anyway, if there was a major error in her trial, then yes she should get a new trial. I'm sure the results will be the same though.

 

[clarabelle]

They were told not to have more children and they chose to anyway.
I think her husband is the one who should be in prison. All that "we want all the children God with give us" stuff.
God also gave him a brain.

 

[lulugirl]

I don't know why people have such a hard time realizing that this woman is C R A Z Y. In this country, we don't hold the mentally ill accountable for their actions. Does this mean she should ever be free? No. But she should be in a secure treatment center, not prison.

Anyway, if there was a major error in her trial, then yes she should get a new trial. I'm sure the results will be the same though.

I agree. A large portion of our society is incredibly ignorant when it comes to mental illness.

 

[DVCLiz]

The husband's responsibility aside, Andrea Yates is severely mentally ill. You can't hold her to the same standards you would a sane person, because she isn't. Sane, that is. As someone said, when she's getting medical treatment, she has enormous remorse for her actions. When she isn't, she's mentally ill again.

If her first trial had false testimony, that's grounds for a new one. Plain and simple. Just like every other American citizen. We don't judge by the standard of whether or not the criminal is sort of OK or really, really bad when we decide to grant a new trial. We use the same standard in each case - and false testimony is one of the reasons a new trial can be granted.

The fact that I personally think Andrea Yates should be punished for the rest of her life for killing her children is immaterial to her getting a new trial.

Sad, sad, sad.

 

[missypie]

They were told not to have more children and they chose to anyway.
I think her husband is the one who should be in prison. All that "we want all the children God with give us" stuff.
God also gave him a brain.

Not so sure about the brain. When he was taking her to the psychiatrist, getting her prescriptions for MAJOR drugs filled, etc. did it EVER occur to him that their kids might not be safe with her? I'm sure few people could imagine that their spouse would kill, but he was trusting her to feed them, bathe them, home school them...he was trusting her to be the responsible person all day every day. Why would anyone with a major mental illness be trusted with those responsiblities?

BUT...in all of the discussions about Andrea Yates or any of the other mentally ill parents who harm their kids, NO ONE EVER tells us a loving, practical alternative. If ol' Rusty had been the most loving, responsible husband ever, what would he have done? What is the spouse of dangerously mentally ill person to do? It's very difficult to have one committed for a long period of time. Most people don't have the money to set the ill person up in their own apartment and visit them with the kids every day. What ARE the families of the mentally ill people supposed to do? No one ever talks about that.

 

[Toby'sFriend]

I don't know why people have such a hard time realizing that this woman is C R A Z Y. In this country, we don't hold the mentally ill accountable for their actions. Does this mean she should ever be free? No. But she should be in a secure treatment center, not prison.

No, I disagree with that. Mentally ill persons who are able to discern that their actions are illegal under societal laws are held responsible for those actions. Mental illness is not an excuse from being held accountable.

She is in a secure treatment center, as she will be once she is again found guilty. She is not being held in a jail cell, she is at a Psychiatric treatment center connected with the Prison where she has been ever since she was found guilty at the first trial. The family had the option of having her moved away from this place when her conviction was overturned - they preferred to have her remain at this location.

Yates has divorced her and she is no longer covered under Health Insurance and she has no source of income. She has no means to pay for Psychiatric care other than what the taxpayers of Texas provide for her. If she were to be released from "prison" she would become a Medicaid patient..... it is very doubtful that her quality of Medical care will improve.

 

[DawnCt1]

Yes I do. That woman needs to be in a hospital getting the help she needs. I never thought she should go to prison.

I agree with you. She probably should be hospitalized for the rest of her life but she has created her own hell that she will always have to live with. Death would probably be more merciful.

 

[Feralpeg]

She should be in a hospital getting intensive treatment and her moron husband should be on death row. The guy was abusive and pushed her over the edge. She never should have had that last child and should never have been left alone with them in the mental state she was in.

Amen!