An odd "non-punishment" punishment.

I just cam across this little article. I think the judge missed a good opportunity to give an "eye for an eye".

STAFFORD COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) — A Stafford County mother will see her felony charge dropped, if she agrees not to spank her child for at least two years.

A Stafford County Circuit Court judge handed that deal to Felisha Kimble–Tanks, a dentist who practices in Annandale and lives in Stafford. She received the child cruelty charges after a Jan. 16 incident in which she spanked her 6-year-old daughter with a leather belt.

Spanking a six year old girl with a belt is excessive and unnaturally cruel. Who is going to check up on her over the two years?

Some dentist!

I dunno, maybe out of habit she gave the kid a shot of novocaine before the spanking commenced.

It will be interesting to see what happens two years and one day from now

That's what I was thinking, I mean the husband is estranged so I assume he doesn't live with them anymore.

It is simple, if the parents decide to use spankings as punishment, a child that young at the most should get the palm of the hand and at that with their jeans up and three swats at the most. Anything else to me is just plain too much.

CS

If it was a felony charge, it was probably a fairly severe spanking. How it came to the attention of the authorities in unanswered. Perhaps someone at her school noticed. Of course, I think we'd all like to see her get her own backside attended to by a leather strap too, but, ironically, corporal punishment of adults is uncontitutional (Eighth Amendment: no "cruel or unusual punishment shall be allowed").

The estranged husband filed the complaint form what I understand. If I was the judge and given the fact I couldn't order the mother punished in a similar fashion I don't think I'd let the charges go like he did... I gues that's why I'm not a judge. :D

Orders like that aren't uncommon, especially when there's an estranged spouse. Just the fact that one of the parents is objecting means there isn't complete parental approval for what's happening. And it's not a matter of checking with the kid in a couple of years - she should expect unscheduled visits from social workers.

When Britney Spears was at the start of her melt down, back when her husband first left her, the judge issued an order for her not to spank her kids (then ages 1 and 2). That judge soon had her on supervised visitation only - and I think she still only has supervised visitation. Of course she's an extreme case - she's been declared to be mentally incompetent and ever few years they renew that status.

Edited to add link to the order forbidding corporal punishment, mandating parenting classes, and ordering Spears to undergo drug testing.
http://www.today.com/id/20852946/ns/today-today_entertainment/t/judge-orders-britney- clean-her-act/#.Uj6d8BBIHfY

Goodgulf

In Scotland a few years ago a teacher who took his 8 year old daughter to a dental appointment spanked her in the waiting room in an attempt to bring an end her tantrum. The receptionist took exception to this and complained to the police. He was arrested, charged with assault and suspended from his job. I think the assault charge was dropped but I'm sure his career must have suffered. The daughter must be in her teens now and I hope the actions of her father, and the reaction of the receptionist, haven't had a detrimental effect on her family or her future. I also hope she wasn't made to suffer any feelings of guilt for her initial 'crime', she was only a child after all.