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Mary Barnett Case Essay

780 Words4 Pages

The title refers to what the prosecution argument had to say about the evidence against Mary Barnett. On January 23rd , Mary Barnett left her home in Chicago to go visit her fiancé in San Francisco, California. Upon leaving her home, she left her six-month-old daughter alone, to die. After a week of being away from home, Barnett came back to find her baby, Alison, dead. She called the police, and in the moment, blatantly lied, and told them that she had left Alison with a babysitter. Later on, Barnett admitted that she did not have a babysitter at the house, and that she left the baby home with no intentions of coming back. She stated that she "knew Alison would die in a day or two" (p. 83). The prosecution testimony consisted of Barnett being …show more content…

Hospers said that Barnett "didn't give a damn about little Alison" (p. 84). Hospers went on and explained that Barnett had a drinking problem and that she would have "lots of wild parties in her apartment" (p. 84). It is clear that Barnett did not have the responsibility to be a parent. Barnett probably knew she was irresponsible and she knew she could not take care of Alison properly. It can be said that she left Alison home to die because she could not deal with the responsibility of being a parent, anymore. Alison was obviously a burden to Barnett, and she got rid of this burden by leaving Alison alone to …show more content…

Parker, a professional psychiatrist. Dr. Parker said that Barnett completely "understands the charges against her" (p. 84). So, this means, she knows what she has done. If she understands that charges being put against her, then she cannot sit there and say she does not remember leaving Alison home alone. Dr. Parker also said that he believes that Mary Barnett was "mentally competent" the day she left Alison alone (p. 84). Barnett was fully aware that she was leaving Alison behind and that Alison would "be in great danger" (p. 84). If a profession psychiatrist, who has dealt with judicial hearings before, says that Barnett was "mentally competent", then, that evidence is valid. He said she was suffering from depression and anxiety, but those symptoms are most likely from the aftermath of the situation. She feels guilty for the decisions that she made and now they are taking a toll on

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