Rochester Man To Get Jail Time in Child Abuse Case

September 7, 2016 Abuse and Neglect Attorney

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24-year-old Jonathan Karney has handled some ups and downs of late when it comes to some child abuse charges he was facing. His charges have gone from two felonies to one, but then his no jail agreement got turned on it’s head. All in all, it’s been a rough ride for everyone involved.

 

The incident that landed Karney behind bars took place on January 29th, 2015. He was babysitting his then-girlfriend’s son, who ended up in the hospital with a broken collarbone and a broken forearm. The little boy, named Colin, was one-and-a-half years old at the time. His mother, 23-year-old Bailey Weber said that Karney had offered to watch her son, and that she had trusted him.

 

According to the medical staff who examined Colin, the broken arm was a recent injury, while the broken collarbone had happened several weeks before. Family member’s of Weber’s said that they became suspicious of Karney when, while waiting for results at the hospital, he began to punch the palm of one hand with the other balled into a fist.

 

Karney was arrested and charged with Second Degree child Abuse, which is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. But Karney’s defense attorney filed a ‘motion to quash,’ and in response Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Richard Caretti changed the charge from Second to Third Degree Child Abuse.

 

Under Michigan law, Third Degree Child Abuse is a felony punishable by up to two years. When compared to the ten years that Karney was facing, two years may seem light. Which is exactly what Assistant Macomb Prosecutor Nicole Blank and Weber thought. Then, as if to add fuel to their fire, the Judge agreed to a sentencing deal that would net Karney no jail time at all,

only probation.

 

However, after the agreement had been made and Karney appeared in court for his sentencing hearing, things took another unexpected turn. Both Weber and Assistant Prosecutor Blank pleaded with the Judge, begging him to put Karney behind bars for what he had done. Inexplicably, the Judge listened to them and changed his mind again.

 

After hearing Weber speak in court about what had happened to her son, and viewing pictures of the boy’s injuries, Judge Caretti engineered a new agreement. Karney is now looking at six months of jail time and up to two years of probation. However, this new deal wasn’t immediately imposed, as Karney has the right to reject the Judge’s offer and take the case to trial.

 

We don’t know what the outcome of this case will be but we do know that it is not uncommon for cases to have a series of ups and downs. The best way to protect yourself is to ensure that you have an experienced child abuse defense attorney on your side. So if you or a loved one are facing child abuse allegations or charges, call us immediately at 800-576-6035. We can help you.