Summary
A West Virginia couple, Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and Donald Lantz, received prison sentences of 215 and 160 years, respectively, for forcing their five adopted Black children into slave labor.
Authorities discovered the abuse after a welfare check revealed children locked in a shed without water or sanitation.
The couple, charged with human trafficking, child neglect, and forced labor, targeted the children because of their race.
The court ordered them to pay $280,000 in restitution each.
“I just want the court to know that I have made mistakes I am very sorry for that and I love my children and I have never, ever, done anything to my … children to harm them intentionally,”
So what, you just accidentally locked them in a shed and forced them into slave labor? What the fuck is this apology.
I wonder if they have biological children and meant them.
Source: haven’t read the article.
Edit: read the article. Still don’t know.
I’m just surprised that the apology didn’t mention Jesus even once.
Even though by the time the hearing commences, the judge has already usually decided on the sentence, every competent criminal defence lawyer will advise their client to grovel and beg for mercy at the sentencing for two reasons:
- Acting recalcitrant could upset the judge and result in a heavier sentence than the judge originally planned because they feel a need to make an example of the defendant.
- Not being apologetic damages your future chances of parole when the parole board looks at the tape or record of the sentencing.
Ah, yes, the parole they might receive when the parole board reviews their case in [checks watch] 80-100 years.
There’s also the possibility of appeals to get the sentence reduced. And the defendant’s family can apply for pardons. Pardons and commutations are usually associated with political grift in the US (and this is a well-deserved reputation), but they can also be applied for and governors occasionally grant them to prisoners who demonstrate they’re reformed even when they’re not otherwise eligible for parole.
Grovelling before the judge and acting like you accept you are guilty for sixty minutes costs nothing on the part of the defendant anyway.
I understand. I was mainly just making a joke.
“You brought these kids to West Virginia, a place as I know as almost heaven and put them in hell. The court will now put you in yours. May God have mercy on your souls, because this court will not."
Circuit Court Judge MaryClaire Akers
That’s kinda fire actually
Reminder that West Virginia exists exclusively because of slavery. Especially that part of Appalachia was a HUGE haven for self emancipated people and free black people alike, because if you get deep enough into the mountains, you basically cease to exist as a legal entity unless people want to put a significant amount of effort into reaching you and the same amount in extricating you.
It was also arguably the heart of Ol’ John Browns crusade against twisted institution of slavery. I usually find Evangelicals both living and dead to be morally reprehensible weaklings who take their own gods name in vain, John Brown is one of the few I would be willing to shake the hand of.
John Brown did nothing wrong.
I always find the people here with Confederate flags claiming it’s about heritage to be the most ridiculous. The state was founded during the Civil War and is the part of Virginia that stayed with the Union, how in the everloving fuck is a Confederate flag part of our heritage?
If it was about heritage, it would be half-burned and covered in boot prints.
Good. In the USA, slavery isn’t ok for private citizens. Only prisons are allowed to engage in blatant actual slavery.
When they change illegal immigration to be a felony, all those people in the deportation camps can legally be put right back in use!
… they took our jerbs?
Slavers should be shot
John brown smiles upon you:
John brown did nothing wrong
He did a lot wrong, but the failure to ensure adequate equipment and training for his troops is to a degree expected when running a guerrilla crusade.
He should have gone to ground earlier in the campaign.
They needed to do more smaller scale raids on remote plantations for longer, bleeding Kansas was a start but insufficient.
Morally wrong, no. Tactically he made enough errors to get himself killed.
John Brown’s body lies molding in the grave, oh John Browns body lies molding in the grave, John Browns body lies molding in the grave but his soul goes marching on /lyr
Burned.
Burned, then shot
“Ow! You shot me! Now I’m very badly burned, and have been shot!”
What the fucking fuck?
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Oligarchs next?
They don’t deserve prison
It takes a cartoonish level of cruelty that your verdict sounds like a made up rage bait article that tries way too hard.
Fuck you. I hope they get the same treatment as kiddy fiddlers in prison.
I may have laughed when I read this line from the judge, “You brought these kids to West Virginia, a place as I know as almost heaven and put them in hell,” Either she has a lot of pride for West Virginia or the cartoonist part was present during the trial as well.
"Almost heaven, West Virginia. Blue Ridge Mountains, Shanendoah River.
Life is old there, older than the trees.
Younger than the mountains, growing like the breeze.
Country roads, take me home, to the place I belong"
Funny thing about that–the authors had no significant ties to West Virginia and were instead inspired by a road trip through Maryland. https://www.baltimoreexaminer.com/john-denver-country-roads/
I’d once heard that it wasn’t even about West Virginia, the state, but rather west Virginia, the region. Dunno about the veracity of that statement, but
Trump pardons incoming
State not federal.
he can’t pardon state sentences?
No, only the governor of that state can do that.
That’s why people like Loraine Pellegrino are still on probation for forging the fake electors and trying to steal the 2020 election. MAGA doesnt mention the people that still have charges and convictions against them for their illegal acts. He only could pardon the charges brought by the federal government.
Movie name?
I think that’s the one where his daughter was raped
A Time to Kill
They could have just worked for the prison system, then they’d get a regular paycheck to enforce slavery.
This is great news for all. The parents rot in a cell and hopefully get shoved by other black prisoners once they find out what they did.
I hope the government put services in place to help rehabilitate and provide those children with the mental heath and support they’ll need.
I hope the government put services in place to help rehabilitate and provide those children with the mental heath and support they’ll need.
Thoughts and prayers. Write a letter.
I hope the government put services in place to help rehabilitate and provide those children with the mental heath and support they’ll need.
Why would it? Wait for them to turn criminal out of desperation and you’ve got a reason to
enslave themthrow them into prison where you can legally force them to work
I am shocked this went to trial in WV
Crimes like these should be paid back by the community. Drop them off with signs saying what happened and see what happens.
it is funny that nobody finds this funny.
