- MERIDEN, Conn. -- A mother
convicted of contributing to the suicide of her 12-year-old son has asked
a Superior Court judge for a new trial or an acquittal.
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- Judith Scruggs, 52, was found guilty Monday of risk of
injury to a minor for providing a home environment that was unsafe or unhealthy.
She was acquitted of two other charges.
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- Judge Stephen Frazzini on Thursday granted a defense
request to change the date of Scruggs' sentencing, because the original
date, Nov. 20, was her son J. Daniel's birthday.
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- Scruggs is now scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 9. She
could be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison.
- Scruggs' lawyer, Reese Norris, also asked for a new trial
or for an acquittal, arguing the prosecution failed to present expert testimony
about Daniel's physical and mental state, or expert testimony that the
family home was unsafe or unhealthy.
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- Norris also said the verdict should not stand because
the judge failed to dismiss a juror who had contact with a supporter of
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- Scruggs', and because the jury was not asked to unanimously
find that Scruggs had intended to harm Daniel.
- Prosecution witnesses testified that the home was filthy
and that Daniel slept in his closet with knives and a homemade spear.
- The defense claimed that Daniel hanged himself with a
necktie in his closet Jan. 2, 2002 because he had been bullied at school.
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- Copyright © 2003, The Associated Press
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