Shanesha Taylor was charged with two counts of felony child abuse and faced up to eight years in prison, plus up to four more years of probation. Instead, the composed 35-year-old went to Maricopa County Superior Court to attend a settlement conference Friday. The deal means her case will be dismissed if she successfully completes a diversion program. This is a beautiful resolution to a very long, very hard journey, Taylor said Friday morning after entering into the agreement. Taylors attorney, Benjamin Taylor, no relation, later thanked Montgomery and Judge Joseph Welty. She says she wishes she could redo that day, he added, noting that his client, a U.S. Air Force veteran, would have gotten the job at Farmers. Shanesha Taylor is now scheduled for a civil court hearing to regain custody of her kids, who were 6 months old and 2 years old at the time of her arrest. Her attorney is confident she will prevail. Shes been able to prove to Arizona shes a loving mother who made a mistake, he said. This could have ruined her life. Taylor will be required to complete parenting and substance-abuse classes and to establish education and child-care trusts for each of her three children. Each education trust must have at least $10,000 in it. Since her arrest, a fundraising Web page set up on her behalf at youcaring has raised more than $114,775 from 4,052 donors to assist with her legal fees and other expenses. This provides a future for my kids, she said. The trust fund is tremendous, Benjamin Taylor said. This will help her get back on her feet. Montgomery said that given the circumstances of the case — with Shanesha Taylor seeking employment and experiencing difficulties with child care — the resolution seemed appropriate. He routinely prosecutes people who leave their kids unattended to go shopping or partying. Where we can focus on an opportunity for rehabilitation without having to use punitive consequences, were always willing to take a look at that, Montgomery said. And our resolution today shouldnt be taken as a policy shift. This is just how we were able to resolve this one particular case.
Posted on: Sun, 20 Jul 2014 18:04:03 +0000
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