Parents of staved Philly teen now suing city

[larrymeyer]

I Don't believe this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.delcotimes.com/site/news....d=662709&rfi=6

Parents of staved Philly teen now suing city
By the Associated Press 08/12/2008


PHILADELPHIA - The parents charged in the starvation death of their bedridden daughter have sued the city, alleging that the dangerous and reckless actions of several employees and contract workers contributed to her death.
The lawsuit outraged prosecutors, who have charged mother Andrea Kelly, 39, of Philadelphia, with the murder of Danieal Kelly. The 14-year-old with cerebral palsy died two years ago from malnutrition and severe, maggot-infested bedsores.
Danieal's father, Daniel Kelly of Darby, is charged with child endangerment. He did not live with the girl.
"I think it's an obscenity. I cannot imagine that people in that situation who did what they did to their own daughter are attempting to profit from it," Assistant District Attorney Ed McCann, head of the city's homicide unit, told the Philadelphia Daily News in a story Tuesday.
Lawyers who filed the wrongful-death lawsuit this month said they did so to protect the interests of the victim's siblings. The suit seeks reimbursement for medical bills, funeral costs and other expenses.
"The parents are not seeking any money from this," attorney Brian Mildenberg said. "The potential beneficiaries are the brothers and sisters and the parents, but the parents may be disqualified by a conviction or a civil finding of abandonment."
The suit was filed in city court but later moved to federal court. Defendants include the city Department of Human Services, the state Department of Public Welfare, a behavioral health contractor and two now-fired city caseworkers who have been criminally charged in the case.
A separate suit filed on behalf of the girl's oldest sibling, 19-year-old Troy Washington, against similar defendants claims that he suffered "substantial mental pain" from his sister's death

[imashooter2]

Well, the parents starved their child to death, so I guess we have an accurate bearing on their moral compass.

But where do you find a lawyer so forking depraved as to file the lawsuit? What a chunk of dung HE is.

[PapaJazz26]

WTF!!!!! (end of statement)

[-JD-]

Sometimes I think we made a wrong turn getting away from "An eye for an eye". Thinking that the taxpayers will have to pay to defend against this just sickens me more.

[ChamberedRound]

But where do you find a lawyer so forking depraved as to file the lawsuit? What a chunk of dung HE is.

Amen to that.

[-JD-]

...
Lawyers who filed the wrongful-death lawsuit this month said they did so to protect the interests of the victim's siblings. The suit seeks reimbursement for medical bills, funeral costs and other expenses.
"The parents are not seeking any money from this," attorney Brian Mildenberg said. "The potential beneficiaries are the brothers and sisters and the parents, but the parents may be disqualified by a conviction or a civil finding of abandonment."
...
A separate suit filed on behalf of the girl's oldest sibling, 19-year-old Troy Washington, against similar defendants claims that he suffered "substantial mental pain" from his sister's death

IF the siblings (individually) are not complicit (Big IF I don't know ages, circumstances, etc.) Then I feel sorry for them - they may be abused as well, and deserving of compensation - FROM THE PARENTS, not the city.

As for the 19 year old opportunist - if he knew enough about it to suffer "substantial mental pain" then he damn well should have done something about it before she died!

[tes151]

Its a sick and confusing world we live in. The fact is, there are some people that no longer deserve to suck air. JMHO...........

[GunLawyer001]

I don't know the details, but it's standard procedure when multiple parties were all negligent, for guilty parties to sue the other guilty parties, bringing everyone into the same trial, so that the proportions of guilt and blame might be determined by a jury.

From what little I've heard (about this or other similar cases), the city took on the responsibility of monitoring the kids, and faked it. The city could have stopped this if the fat-assed civil servants had done what they were being paid to do, which is I'm sure what the falsified records show they did.

Just because the parents are evil scumbags doesn't mean that the city should get off the hook. Without any liability, the same worthless patronage employees will continue to fake their way through their jobs, and more innocents will suffer.

[imashooter2]

Wow! I thought that lawyer was just a chunk of dung lining his pockets by representing some of the most vile scum on the planet. But now I see that he's really a noble crusader on a quest for the betterment of mankind.

[Intolerantbobj]

Hello Larry ,

I'm afraid I take a differing view on this than you ... not that I condone the Lawsuit, but more of a case of ... " What goes around, comes around " !

The City workers, the Big Mouth D A, and the Mayor are crying foul .. it's a mistake .. we can't believe this .. these Lawyers are scum .. etc.

Well, obviously they've got short memories ... and mistakes warrant MUCH more then a mere Lawsuit , as you'll see below, mistakes warrant much more, and that blabber mouthed bitch D A should be the VERY LAST to cry foul ... read on and let me know if it changes your thinkin' any ...

...
Grandfather charged in toddler's heat death

By Joelle Farrell
Inquirer Staff Writer
In a case the prosecutor called "gross negligence," a Lansdowne man was charged yesterday with involuntary manslaughter in his grandson's death after he forgot the baby in his SUV during sweltering heat earlier this month. Edward M. Kanterman, 59, of Sayers Avenue, forgot to drop off his grandson at day care June 10 and instead drove to work, leaving 14-month-old Nicholas McCorkle in the back seat. He was strapped in a car seat for more than five hours as temperatures reached the mid-90s that day. By the time Kanterman returned, Nicholas, who was drenched in sweat, was blue and struggling to breathe, according to a police affidavit. His temperature was 107.2 degrees.
Four days later, doctors told the child's parents that he was brain-dead. Nicholas died at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on June 14, shortly after he was taken off life support.
Police have said they don't believe Kanterman deliberately left his grandson in the car, and Nicholas's mother, Rebecca Kanterman, has said she does not blame her father.
Delaware County District Attorney G. Michael Green, however, said Kanterman showed "gross negligence" when he forgot a child in a car during a dangerous heat wave that had been a top news story for several days. Nicholas relied on Kanterman for his survival, and Kanterman's failure left Nicholas unable to save himself, Green said.
"Who is the voice of a 14-month-old child?" Green said at a news conference yesterday. "We heard that voice."
Kanterman was led into a Marple courtroom in handcuffs yesterday and later released on $10,000 unsecured bail. Judge John P. Capuzzi Sr. scheduled a hearing for Aug. 11.
Involuntary manslaughter involving a victim less than 12 years of age is a felony charge, Green said, and Kanterman could face a maximum of 10 years in prison. But Green said it was too early to discuss whether Kanterman would serve time.
Kanterman did not answer reporters' questions as he left court yesterday. His attorney, Eugene A. Bonner, said the charge only adds to the family's grief.
"I don't know what punishment more than he's already suffered, what good that would do," Bonner said in a telephone interview yesterday. "He's already being punished every day for the rest of his life. It's horrifying, and bringing charges just makes it a double tragedy."
About 36 children die each year from heat-related illness after being left in cars, said Janette E. Fennell, founder and president of the national nonprofit advocacy group Kids and Cars. Nicholas was the seventh child to die this year nationally, and the organization has found the numbers increasing as more parents put their children in backseats to avoid the dangers of front-seat air bags.
In a similar case in 2002, Calvin Howell, then 54, forgot to drop his 21-month-old granddaughter at a babysitter's house before he went to work and left the girl in his car. Howell, of Southwest Philadelphia, was charged with involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child, and reckless endangerment. He pleaded guilty in 2003 and was sentenced to five years of probation and 100 hours of community service.

Contact staff writer Joelle Farrell at 610-627-0352 or at jfarrell@phillynews.com.

Link to above article :http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local...eat_death.html


If the D A see's fit to smack someone with the hammers of justice as you just read, why the outcry when the role is reversed.

As much as I feel the parents should be shot, I hope they shove it so far up the ass of ALL responsible City Employees, D A + Mayor too, that the entire block has enough cash to retire on , and from the Mayor on down loses their jobs !

Take Care Larry