The charges against Treffly Coyne, the mom who left her sleeping two-year-old in the car while she put change in the Salvation Army’s bucket, were dropped this past Friday. National outcry and common sense can do interesting things. The prosecutor said they were unable to meet the burden of proof. They should have figured this out three months ago. But I’m no lawyer.
A link to the story is here.
GOOD!
Heidi’s last blog post..Grandma
Halfway there…now they need to clarify that stupid law. I’m glad charges were dropped, but who’s the next mom to be charged?
jen’s last blog post..No kidding?
I’ve actually been praying for this mom and this situation since you posted it. And freaking out everytime I put away a shopping cart while my kids hang out in the van…
Megan’s last blog post..Done!
The arrested her for that!? Sometimes the law really steps outside the law.
Oh good. I’m glad they’re finally acting sensibly — or at least acting *as if* they’re acting sensibly. That whole thing was just ridiculous.
Katrina (Callapidder Days)’s last blog post..Book Giveaway: In Jesse’s Shoes
That’s good to hear!
My Dad happened to mention this story when I talked to him last Friday. (He’s a new junkie, I used to work in the news business, so he loves to try to “scoop” me with stories I haven’t heard of yet.)
So he was the first to tell me the charges have been dropped. I was so glad to hear common sense is still alive and kicking.
Thanks for updating.
Kelly @ Love Well’s last blog post..The Blogging O’ The Green
I’m a bit ambivalent about this, because I do think it’s incredibly irresponsible in most cases to leave a child alone in a vehicle. A sleeping toddler with the mom just outside the car? Okay, that’s different – but it’s really not a good idea in most situations.
But I’m glad she had the charges dropped because in her case, it was ridiculous. Still, though.
I’m so glad. I’ve been following this case with interest.
Rocks In My Dryer’s last blog post..She’s Just Like You, Only Hairier and With Sharper Teeth
I feel badly for that mom to be put through that. That was ridiculous.
Our family thanks you and everyone who feels strongly enough about our situation to include us in their conversations with God. It is truly humbling. Your supportive words have often been a welcome sustinecnce for us.
We are glad that this experience of our has inspired people to look at all of the dangers children face, including being left alone in cars in conditions that could injure or kill them. Each one of those instances is a tragedy. Treffly considered our childs safety and made the correct ‘mothers choice’ that night. Our child was never in any danger. The police had a responsibility that night to investigate if they thought a crime was commited. They did not take that responsibility seriously. If they did, they would have listened to my wifes story, questioned witnesses and gone into the Walmart to look at the video that caught the incident on the stores security system.
You would have never heard my wifes name in the same sentence as ‘child abuser’ if they did that.
Instead, they immediately charged my wife with ‘being a child abuser,’ told Treffly she was not free to go, and then they threatened to take our child. Treffly produced identification and after they threatened to take her baby she said she didn’t want to say anything else until I got there because she was panicked and upset and I was on the way. She has never been in trouble with the police before.
We thought when the charges were dropped that we would feel a sense of victory and accomplishment. We did not. We supposed time might heal us. There was not enough time.
When the chief of police Timothy Sulikowski said that he disagreed with the prosecutors decision to drop the charges even though there was no evidence we became incensed. When he said he supported the actions of his officers and the mayor of Crestwood Robert Stranczek said that his police were right as well, we knew that our fight was not over.
I learned in grade school that in America one is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. In Crestwood one is guilty it seems until the chief of police and the mayor say they are innocent.
The fight is still on.
To me this was simply a fight to avenge the people who tore my family apart with their thuggish behavior.
People all over America and around the world have shown me that it is so much more.
It’s a fight between the sanctity of the family unit and the laws and powers of the state.
Our children were never in danger until the state forced their way into our lives, tore up our family, arrested my wife, abandoned our other girls to their own luck and tarnished our family name.
We will continue to fight. Your prayers and well wishes have always sustained us through this dark time for our family.
At times we have become tired and weary, we’ve lost our direction, the fight threatened to consume us. We felt so alone when it started. Now we often feel embraced by the kind words of faceless strangers.
We will not become victims. That’s why we refuse to succumb to the oppression and abuse the state has lumped upon us. We refuse to take it and we will fight as long as they continue to send it the way of our family.
If Treffly was wrong, we would have plead guilty, apologized and asked for the mercy of the courts. If only the poloce could be so level headed and considerate.
If we win this fight, and with the help and prayers of others I am sure we will, then we will have drawn a line around the family which I hope the state will consider deeply before they violate it again.
Your thoughts and prayers will continue to strengthen us as we fight this battle.
Spread the word. This fight that we never asked for is far deeper thatn just my family getting roughed up.
It is about the relationship of the family unit and the government. I believe that is the American family that gives power to the American government. Maybe the government has forgotten that.
Our victory will be a reminder.
Thanks again for your thoughts and prayers, I’m telling you we feel them. If victory should come our way, you will have been a part of that.
Thank you so much for thinking of my family in this time of challenge for us.
My name is Tim Janecyk and I will make you this promise:
I would fight just as hard for justice for your family as I am fighting for justice for mine.
Justice for all of us!