Madlyn Primoff, Mom Who Ditched Fighting Kids, to Get Charge Dismissed in Child Endangerment Case?
Right in time for Mother's Day weekend, Madlyn Primoff, the mother/attorney from New York who decided it would be a good idea to discipline her bickering children by kicking them out of her car, got good news today. The AP reports that a judge in White Plains "said he would dismiss the child-endangerment charge against her in six months if she stayed out of trouble."
This particular result wasn't too much of a surprise, as there were probably a number of parents who at least sympathized with Primoff (perhaps even, secretly, admired her?). The defense's side of the story also puts things in a bit of a different light, per the AP:
Defense attorney Vincent Briccetti said later that Primoff intended merely to drive around the block and pick the girls up, but they were gone when she returned.
"She wasn't abandoning her children," he said.
The prosecutor ended up conceding that Primoff wasn't any danger to her kids. Still, considering the incredible amount of press and debate the case garnered, the issue of where to draw the line between discipline and abuse is probably not laid to rest.
A CBS story passed on Primoff's acknowledgment of fault to reporters, "Clearly I made a mistake, but I truly love our children and I know I am a good parent". That may be so, but she and her family are off to therapy for an undisclosed amount of time. Family therapist Dr. Patricia Goodman said the process was not going to be an easy one, "It's got to be tremendously hard, the shame the mother is feeling". But for her part, it appears Primoff is ready to get on with life, "We've discussed the situation as a family, we've put it to rest and we'll move forward together".
- AP: NY mom says she was wrong to leave kids on curb (Google News)
- CBS: Drive-Away Mom Admits Mistake After Leaving Kids
- The Madlyn Primoff Case: Child Endangerment or Just Discipline? (FindLaw's Blotter)
- List of State Child Endangerment Laws (National District Attorneys Association)
- Criminal Defense FAQ (provided by Randolph L. Goldman)
- Parenting and the Law (FindLaw)