A Galion woman pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment, a third-degree felony punishable with up to three years in prison.
Jetaime Schilling, 37, pleaded guilty and opted for her attorney, Adam Stone, to argue before Crawford County Common Pleas Court Judge Sean Leuthold what her sentence should be.
During the hearing, Leuthold heard from assistant prosecutor, Ryan Hoovler, who asked the court to impose 30 months in prison. During the proceedings, Hoovler presented a letter from the nine-year-old victim, submitted through his biological father, that asked for the sentence.
According to testimony from Schilling’s current husband, they had discussed punishment for the child, including corporal punishment. When asked what kind of misbehavior the child exhibited to warrant such punishment, Schilling’s husband told the court the child had stolen merit tickets from other children at school, refused to complete work and refused to stay in during recess for punishment.
The stepfather told Leuthold the child was forced to do the wall squat and count to five or six.
Leuthold also noted that there was severe bruising on the child’s inner thighs near his genitalia.
In a pre-sentence investigation report, Schilling admitted to hitting the child more than once with her husband’s belt and that she had hit the child with everything from paint sticks to a paddle.
On his client’s behalf, Stone told the court they suspected the child had disabilities but had not begun ADHD testing. He asserted the facts of the case were taken out of context and said his client had struggled with discipline and had tried employing creative tactics.
Stone said his client had completed a case plan, left the home and had abided by the terms of her bond except for one time when she sent a card to her child believing she was permitted to do so.
“She went too far. She beat her kid up. But the greater pain for her will be her not being allowed in her child’s life,” Stone said. “The ongoing psychological torture I cannot imagine. We would ask for a 30-month suspended sentence and community control.”
Schilling herself addressed the court.
“I did wrong. I spanked wrong. I hurt him physically and emotionally. I lost my temper and control.” Schilling said. “I have worked hard to be a better parent. I wish I could apologize to him and his father. I apologize to the court. I’m ready to accept whatever punishment. I have to live with what I did, and I will never forgive myself for doing what a parent should never do.”
Leuthold told the court that the boy may have been a handful but that was no justification.
“Community control is not an option here. This is a terrible crime. Even the pre-sentence investigation suggests 18 months in prison,” Leuthold said. “The pictures show this abuse went well beyond the scope of corporal punishment. The children are thriving in their new circumstances. I am going to follow the state’s recommendation and impose 30 months in prison.
“Your lawyer and your own words have convinced me you have some remorse,” he continued. “Somewhere down the road I may release you on community control. You are to have no contact with the victim but may have supervised visitation with your daughter.”
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