Jack asks Abbie to try a case involving a young mother accused of starving her baby to death.Jack asks Abbie to try a case involving a young mother accused of starving her baby to death.Jack asks Abbie to try a case involving a young mother accused of starving her baby to death.
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Did you know
- TriviaThis episode aired just a few months before New York State enacted the Abandoned Infant Protection Act. Its intent was to save the lives of unwanted newborns. Under the law, parent(s) could leave unwanted newborns five days of age or younger at a hospital or a police, fire, or rescue station. The child then becomes a ward of the state, and the parent(s) are automatically declared unfit and lose all legal guardianship. Under the first version of this law, a parent could potentially face criminal charges for child abandonment, especially if the child was harmed or otherwise mistreated, such as being malnourished or dehydrated. In August 2010, the law was amended to allow unwanted infants who were 30 days old or younger to be left at a "safe haven" location, which by that time had expanded to include churches, 24-hour mini-marts, and even some Walmart stores. The law was also amended to incentivize parent(s) to plan a baby's abandonment at a safe haven so that the infant would be unharmed. The new amendment states that any parent(s) who delivers their infant to a safe haven as prescribed by law cannot be held criminally liable if the child is safe, healthy, and unharmed at the time of its being left at a safe haven. The new amendments also allowed parent(s) the option of remaining anonymous when leaving a child at a safe haven location.
- GoofsIn this case, the husband assists and (apparently) testifies against his own wife. This is inadmissible as evidence for the prosecution. This is true as of the date of this (at the time) present day broadcast. It is also clearly a legal mistake.
- Quotes
[last lines]
A.D.A. Abbie Carmichael: Judge Steinman gave Amy Beltran one and a half to four and a half years in prison.
D.A. Adam Schiff: With one year for Jimmy Beltran, that's less three years between the both of them. Talk about a throwaway child.
A.D.A. Abbie Carmichael: [Adam leaves] I'm not happy about this.
Jack McCoy: You tried the case you had.
A.D.A. Abbie Carmichael: But I chose the case.
Jack McCoy: Tomorrow is another day, Abbie.
Featured review
Breastfeeding not the culprit
Breastfeeding got a bad rap in this episode. Breast is best but it isn't easy to accomplish in a bottlefeeding world. The lactation consultant in this episode was correct that women have breastfed for millennia but she was wrong to insist that this immature and isolated mother do so. The lactation consultant should have known that through "the millennia" many new mothers received plenty of support from the community so that they can concentrate on the breast feeding relationship with baby. The mother in this ep did not have or seek this support and her husband was no help
Also, bottle feeding is no panacea; depressed or detached parents find mixing formula, sanitizing bottles and heating the contents without using the microwave to be a challenge.
As a registered dietitian, a lay breastfeeding counselor in the 1980-90's and former breastfeeding mom myself, I would never make a client sign a contract agreeing to breastfeed at all costs as did the show's counselor. Our goal was to instead enable the mother and family to make an informed decision about the best way to feed their infant. Most of us would have determined that the baby in this episode was doing poorly and the parents were not caring for the infant including feeding How? By counseling new mothers by phone. We also held monthly mothers meetings or pen to mom's, dad's and babies plus speakers about relevant topics. We rarely had parents who seemed to be as unfit as those in this episode but we sometimes had to call the baby's pediatrician or mother's ob gyn.
Today in Pennsylvania, as a health care provider, I would have to report them to the authorities.
Also, bottle feeding is no panacea; depressed or detached parents find mixing formula, sanitizing bottles and heating the contents without using the microwave to be a challenge.
As a registered dietitian, a lay breastfeeding counselor in the 1980-90's and former breastfeeding mom myself, I would never make a client sign a contract agreeing to breastfeed at all costs as did the show's counselor. Our goal was to instead enable the mother and family to make an informed decision about the best way to feed their infant. Most of us would have determined that the baby in this episode was doing poorly and the parents were not caring for the infant including feeding How? By counseling new mothers by phone. We also held monthly mothers meetings or pen to mom's, dad's and babies plus speakers about relevant topics. We rarely had parents who seemed to be as unfit as those in this episode but we sometimes had to call the baby's pediatrician or mother's ob gyn.
Today in Pennsylvania, as a health care provider, I would have to report them to the authorities.
helpful•90
- Noir-It-All
- May 8, 2020
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