Ceres Father Sentenced in Toddler's Shooting Death

A Ceres man whose 2-year-old daughter fatally shot herself while playing with a loaded gun will spend more than nine years in prison.

[rstandre]

Well, here's that old double standard I was talking about. Does anyone see any BS in this? And by the way either he was sleeping or on meth which is it? Cranksters rarely sleep and never when their high. He should change his career, when he gets out so things like this can never happen again. He should become ....oh I don't know...how about a cop?! Then he can be remorseful and free.

[Whoknows]

Too bad for him he is not a cop.He would have gotten away with it.

[Scrapbooker]

Whoknows wrote:

Too bad for him he is not a cop.He would have gotten away with it.

Come on now cop or no cop the man was high on methamphetamines total two different things here!

[Flossgirl]

rstandre wrote:

Well, here's that old double standard I was talking about. Does anyone see any BS in this? And by the way either he was sleeping or on meth which is it? Cranksters rarely sleep and never when their high. He should change his career, when he gets out so things like this can never happen again. He should become ....oh I don't know...how about a cop?! Then he can be remorseful and free.

Please....there is no double standard at all!!! If you are trying to compare this situation to the cop whose son shot himself, you are way off base! This does not even come close to being the same thing! Another cop hater is all you are!

[Flossgirl]

Another point also....you never "fall asleep" and leave a 2 year old unsupervised under any circumstances...that itself is gross negilance

[Wheres the bs flag]

There's a new strain of meth that actually makes you sleepy, too bad this guy was not a cop otherwise he'd still be out and about..........

[John]

At least the guy had an excuse, he was stoned. The cop was sober, trained to use firearms, and still left a loaded weapon around a child. Who is more at fault?

[Doug]

Wheres the bs flag wrote:

There's a new strain of meth that actually makes you sleepy, too bad this guy was not a cop otherwise he'd still be out and about..........

When people crash of a meth high they are out for a very long time....you moron

[WOW]

9 years for his childs death what about the mother of this child? Her crime is greater than this losers crime she KNEW he was a loser thug just out of jail and she brought him back to her home and ALLOWED this fool to live this life style aound their kids. And she does no time this kid was raised by a bully thug I went to school with them and there were gang books in that babies crib I would say that ignorance breeds ignorance and that God took this precious baby home to spare her the horrilbe life she probably would lived. Wake up people drugs gangs and guns what a life!!!!!!

[Fifth Generation]

Why, in the name of the Maker, would one create a child only to neglect that same precious child?

[Rsmom]

Big difference in the two cases

Cop just turned his back for a minute - dopehead fell asleep

Cop owned gun for his employment - dopehead was a gang member or wannabe with a gun

Both are tragedies for the children and yes I think the cop was negligent also, but two very different cases.

[OakParkResident]

Flossgirl wrote:

<quoted text>Please....there is no double standard at all!!! If you are trying to compare this situation to the cop whose son shot himself, you are way off base! This does not even come close to being the same thing! Another cop hater is all you are!

I disagree. Their is a double standard with law enforcement and always will be, but I wouldn't go as far to compare this story with the cop story. One was neglect the other a accident a very sad accident at that.

[JTTG]

Some people don't understand that 'INTENT' is a major part of a situation like this.

For example:
You park your vehicle on a steep street. You turn the tires to the curb, set the parking brake and lock the doors.
Your intent is to secure the vehicle and avoid damages or injury.
If some device fails and the vehicle rolls down the hill and kills a person, most likely you would not be charged with any crime.

If you are under the influence of any illegal (And sometimes even legal) substance, and you secure the vehicle in the same manner, and the vehicle does the same thing, you can be charged with a crime.
Why is this? It is the same end result right?

Since your intent in the first case was 'good' and you didn't willingly do something that you knew was dangerous to others, the law says it's an accident.
Now if you were to be under the influence, neglected to secure the vehicle, had repaired the parking brake (but botched the job) and had several active felony warrants....well you could plan on doing some time.
The law looks at what actions you choose to make and whether you had any regard for others. In the cases like these two firearm related deaths, the choice and actions of another person compound the danger and cause a death.
Had the deputy been joking with a friend while waving his loaded sidearm around and accidently shot his son....that would likely been enough to charge him. Since it appears that he in fact had followed safety proceedures, but his child did something unusual (Like walking over and grabbing the pistol). Had he been drunk or the evidence showed he was being negligent, he'd been burned just like this guy in Ceres.

Being a dirtbag isn't a crime, but it sure helps convince a DA/Judge/Jury that you deserve to do some time behind bars for your carelessness.

[Monica]

Yes, I agree big difference with this case and the cop's case; however, same result a child is dead because of negligence.

[Flossgirl]

JTTG wrote:

Some people don't understand that 'INTENT' is a major part of a situation like this.
For example:
You park your vehicle on a steep street. You turn the tires to the curb, set the parking brake and lock the doors.
Your intent is to secure the vehicle and avoid damages or injury.
If some device fails and the vehicle rolls down the hill and kills a person, most likely you would not be charged with any crime.
If you are under the influence of any illegal (And sometimes even legal) substance, and you secure the vehicle in the same manner, and the vehicle does the same thing, you can be charged with a crime.
Why is this? It is the same end result right?
Since your intent in the first case was 'good' and you didn't willingly do something that you knew was dangerous to others, the law says it's an accident.
Now if you were to be under the influence, neglected to secure the vehicle, had repaired the parking brake (but botched the job) and had several active felony warrants....well you could plan on doing some time.
The law looks at what actions you choose to make and whether you had any regard for others. In the cases like these two firearm related deaths, the choice and actions of another person compound the danger and cause a death.
Had the deputy been joking with a friend while waving his loaded sidearm around and accidently shot his son....that would likely been enough to charge him. Since it appears that he in fact had followed safety proceedures, but his child did something unusual (Like walking over and grabbing the pistol). Had he been drunk or the evidence showed he was being negligent, he'd been burned just like this guy in Ceres.
Being a dirtbag isn't a crime, but it sure helps convince a DA/Judge/Jury that you deserve to do some time behind bars for your carelessness.

Very well said JTTG (as usual) and I agree 100%

[JTTG]

Monica wrote:

Yes, I agree big difference with this case and the cop's case; however, same result a child is dead because of negligence.

Monica, you missed the point I think.
The investigation in this case showed willful criminal negligence on the father's part.
In the case of the deputy, the investigators were convinced that the child's death was an unforseeable accident. There is a HUGE difference between the two.
Little ones can do things so quickly and unexpectedly that a parent is unable to act fast enough.
When my daughter was little I worked armed security part time. I was preparing for work at 11PM and had placed my sidearm on my bed, along with my duty belt, coat and gloves. I turned to get my flashlight from the charger, which took all of 3 to 5 seconds. When I turned around, there was my daughter with my pistol in her hand. She had been in bed asleep for 3 hours by that time and for some reason had gotten up and walked to our room. I didn't hear her and that was unusual. She didn't attempt to fire the weapon, and the fact that it was unloaded further prevented an accident.
The SHOCK of that situation caused me to change the way I did things around the house. From that point on I kept my weapon in it's case until I was outside and into my vehicle. When I cleaned it, it was behind a locked door in my workroom.
I was fortunate that I was given the chance to change my methods before something terrible happened. I would have NEVER expected my little girl to sneak in on me and take my handgun while I was standing there with my back literally turned. With all the other items laying on the bed, she went straight for the weapon. Why did she do that? I don't know, perhaps TV?
If the pistol had been loaded and the safety on, which is the normal state for a duty weapon to be in, she could have moved the safety and fired it.
Had she managed that, and shot herself, I don't think any reasonable person could have called my actions negligent. Had I been careless, something bad had happened, and it could be proven that I acted without regard for the safety of others....I would expect that charges would be filed against me for criminal negligence and child endangerment.

Do you see the difference?

In the case of this Ceres father, it appears that he was prohibited from possessing firearms to begin with. Having been in violation of the law by having the handgun he automatically made any of his actions criminal in nature. Being under the influence of an illegal substance, leaving an unsecured (And loaded) firearm on the table--where a child could reach it...leaving a child unsupervised...all criminal.
If you are on the right side of the law and do everything properly, yet somebody gets hurt...the law is more forgiving than if the opposite is true.

[Katie]

Whoknows wrote:

Too bad for him he is not a cop.He would have gotten away with it.

you took the words right out of my mouth

[rstandre]

Flossgirl wrote:

<quoted text>Please....there is no double standard at all!!! If you are trying to compare this situation to the cop whose son shot himself, you are way off base! This does not even come close to being the same thing! Another cop hater is all you are!

No you are! Grow up and get back on the planet! Of course it is, one hundred percent pure and unadulterrated DOUBLE STANDARD!!!

[JTTG]

Some just can't get past their hatred of authority. They ignore the fact that the cop has to do it better and cleaner than the citizen.

[rstandre]

Rsmom wrote:

Big difference in the two cases
Cop just turned his back for a minute - dopehead fell asleep
Cop owned gun for his employment - dopehead was a gang member or wannabe with a gun
Both are tragedies for the children and yes I think the cop was negligent also, but two very different cases.

Different case? YES. Same outcome? YES. Equal consequences? NOT A SNOWBALLS CHANCE IN HELL.