Andrea Yates to plead not guilty in the deaths of her childr

ousoonerfanintexas · #1 (**permalink**) January 9th, 2006, 05:05 PM

Andrea Yates pleaded innocent by reason of insanity in the drowning deaths of her children Monday as she made her first court appearance since her 2002 capital murder convictions were overturned.

During her original trial, jurors rejected Yates' insanity defense and found her guilty for the 2001 deaths of three of the children drowned in the family bathtub: 7-year-old Noah, 5-year-old John and the youngest, 6-month-old Mary.

Evidence was presented about the drownings of the other two children -- Paul, 3, and Luke, 2 -- but Yates was not charged in their deaths.

This is one sick lady that if anybody believes her BS that will show how truly stupid people are.

TBug · #2 (**permalink**) January 9th, 2006, 05:13 PM

I do believe she is sick. Anyone that can kill their kids, must be insane. Punishable too, but very sick and should recieve help for that as well.

Luanne Russo · #3 (**permalink**) January 9th, 2006, 05:31 PM

I resent you calling anyone stupid. In fact what gives you the right to do so? This was and is a very sick woman. If you do the research, you will see that there was no motive for the killings. Money, freedom, etc. She heard voices and acted on them. Clear cut metal illness is sad, but is treatable. What she did was wrong, and she must be prevented from having the chance to do it again, but we must see this type of illness and accept it, and not call people stupid, for having a little compassion.

Luanne

Cruise Cynic · #4 (**permalink**) January 9th, 2006, 10:34 PM

Ditto to what Luanne said.

richstacy · #5 (**permalink**) January 9th, 2006, 10:49 PM

You are making a pretty broad assumption that she is "sick." Truth is, you don't know whether she is sick or not. If you assume that anyone who commits an unimaginably heinous crime is sick rather than evil, then I guess the 19 Islamic fanatics who murdered 3,000 innocents on 9/11 were not evil, just sick.

In the eyes of the law, the question is not whether she was sick, but whether she suffered from such a mental defect that she was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of her act.

Luanne Russo · #6 (**permalink**) January 9th, 2006, 11:09 PM

Mr. Prosecutor, I didn't diagnose Andra Yates. The experts did, which is one of the reasons the case has been over turned. To compare 9/11 to this, is so out of line. I have seen evil. I know the difference. I am going by the transcribes of the case, which can be found on line.

My original comment was directed at the idea that anyone who thought there might be a possibility of her being sick rather than evil was stupid. I guess you think so as well.

Cruise Cynic · #7 (**permalink**) January 9th, 2006, 11:10 PM

Evil is in the eye of the beholder. To them, YOU are evil, and they are doing the world a great favour. Some people would lead you to believe Sept. 11 happened for no reason whatsoever..... false. America needs to wake up, quit stereotyping their enemies, and start understanding them, as well as what motivates them. However, I doubt that any country willing to throw 2000 lives away for oil is ready to dramatically alter foreign policy at this point in time.

To compare Islamic Fundamentalist Terrorism with Andrea Yates' act does not fly. The two are not comparable in any way. Yates is most clearly mentally ill. Punishment was no deterrent, and so is after-the-fact pointless. She needs treatment, and to be confined for SOCIETY'S protection.

I prefer the term Severely Misguided to evil, in any case. But then, I don't believe in the Devil.

richstacy · #8 (**permalink**) January 9th, 2006, 11:49 PM

Cynic, You are blaming America for 9/11? Are you nuts? You actually believe we "threw 2000 lives away for oil?" You think we need to "understand" our enemies? Yeah like Neville Chamberlain thought we should all try to understand that nice Mr. Hitler. Whether you believe in the devil or not is of no interest to me whatever. But here's a flash for you: Hitler was Evil. Stalin, who killed 20 million people was evil, and that part of Islam which has vowed to eradicate Israel and the U. S., and the rest of Western civilization, including you is evil too. Don't patronize me with your insults to my country or my intelligence OK?
Maybe you should try being a rational person instead of an insulting cynic for a while. You should be embarrassed. You want to hate America, fine. Don't tell me about it. OK? I love my country, and I resent your gratuitous insult. Like Tony Blair said " A simple way to take a measure of a country is how many people want in and how many want out." By that measure (or any other) we are a pretty damn fine country.

As for Yates, I'll let the law decide what should become of her, and I suggest you do the same.

DougR. · #9 (**permalink**) January 10th, 2006, 06:51 AM

Thank you for standing up Rich Stacy, I could not have expressed it better. The building next to mine in NYC houses the Immigration and Naturalization Offices. Every morning when I get off my bus at 6:30 am there is a line waiting to get in the offices, every day regardless of weather. They bear witness to Prime Minister Blair's statement.

By the way, SoonerFan, you were way out of line also and I can only Echo Luanne's rebuttal.

Cruise Cynic · #10 (**permalink**) January 10th, 2006, 08:32 AM

Dear Sir.

I am not by any means insulting your country. Your blind patriotism perhaps. But not your country. For all its faults, America is one damn fine country, and there are some very smart people involved in her. 911 happened for a reason, irregardless of what you may think. And because of "your" attitude you are condemned to repeat it.

Newsflash for you: The entire world, misguided and misinformed it may be, thinks you are in Iraq for oil, and not to save us all from Saddam. If you don't want to deal with that, I really could care less. And it is frightening that your soldiers have to sacrifice themselves that way.

"Understanding" does not mean mollycoddling, or sucking up. I understand rattlesnakes. It doesn't mean I keep one in my house, nor am I prepared to hug one anytime soon.

TBug · #11 (**permalink**) January 10th, 2006, 09:05 AM

Oh boy!

Mike M · #12 (**permalink**) January 10th, 2006, 11:03 AM

Now you know why we don't like to get into politics and religion.

If you want to have a discussion:

Discuss the topic:
Discuss specific points:
No personal attacks: Debate the person's opinion not the other person.
Name calling is almost an automatic deletion.

Debate and discussion are enjoyable and interesting but on these subjects it almost always ends up in an online shouting match.

If you can't do that then your post and the thread are deleted.

Mike

TBug · #13 (**permalink**) January 10th, 2006, 11:04 AM

Nobody said she shouldn't be punished. People like to post their OPINIONS on this board! Shame on you Sooner! You are calling us stupid! For an OPINION? I thought better of you. I do repect the lawyer that give his/her legal opinion, because they are qualified. I may not agree with her but respect all and glad that we all, including you, can have a voice to say what we think without insulting people. NONE of us were there so we are all just stating OPINION.

Lighten Up!

Jim Bragg · #14 (**permalink**) January 10th, 2006, 11:08 AM

I am locking this thread as it is getting out of hand. EVERYONE has a right to plea as they choose and have a defense. That is the law and it is a good one. It is not up to you to sit in judgement unless you are on the jury.
As for the political crap, this is the reason we need to stay away from it. Too many misconceptions and judgements based on media and prior personal beliefs and not enough on facts.
Jim