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Involuntary Manslaughter Case Summary

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Based on the experience from Professor Orlon’s intern Bandrea Bay, there are three individuals within the scenario that committed a possible crime for which there are possible convictions. The first individual that will be focused on is Cynthia Smith Kones, whom is the mother of the five-year-old child that died due to neglect. Mrs. Kones is the primary caregiver of John Jr. and according to the United States Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia “Parents have a duty to aid and protect their minor children.” CITE. Mrs. Kones left the care of her child in the hands of her husband, Charley Kones, who was the child’s stepfather. However, Mrs. Kones simply left a note at the residence instead of personally communicating to her husband of …show more content…

United States can be analyzed to support the charge. The case involved Shirley Green who was not the legal guardian of a child that failed to provide food and medicine for the child resulting in his death. She was charged with involuntary manslaughter, but it was reversed because there was no finding of legal duty CITE218. Legal duty is a critical element is cases and since Mrs. Kones has a legal duty for the care of John Jr. she can be charged with this crime. Within the text it explains that someone ca be held criminally liable when there is a statute that imposes a duty. Next, when someone has a certain relationship to another. When someone accepts a contractually duty to care for someone. Finally, when someone voluntarily assumes the responsibility to care for another CITE 218. The next individual that can fall under this category is the defendant’s husband, Charley Kones, despite not being the biological father of the child, upon marrying Cynthia he assumed responsibility for her offspring. This can be supported by the case of People v. Carroll were a stepmother was charged with child endangerment for failing to stop he husband from killing his daughter CITE229. The New York Court of Appeals concluded that the stepmother had a duty to care for her husband’s children because “a person who acts as the functional equivalent of a parent in a familial or household setting is … legally responsible for a child’s care” CITE229. The husband

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