Unfortunately, it lasted far longer than a moment - like until midnight! What kind of idiot leaves three children under age four alone all day and night?
The kind who simply just has to attend a taping of the Springer Show, of course.
WHEATON, Ill. (AP) -- A woman got a 30-day jail sentence for leaving her three young children home alone for several hours while she and her boyfriend attended a videotaping of "The Jerry Springer Show."
Shannon Cook, 25, pleaded guilty earlier this week to misdemeanor child endangerment. She also was placed on probation for a year.
"It was an appropriate sentence, given what she did," said DuPage County Assistant State's Attorney Joseph Ruggiero.
The two girls and one boy, all under the age of 4, have been placed in foster homes by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
*GROAN*
At least these little ones made it to DCFS and not to a grave. This woman's tubes should be tied.
Posted by: jadensmokes | Sunday, January 22, 2006 at 11:58 AM
I agree.....you know after all the stories of child abuse we hear lately I am starting to think it should be made law that if you screw up once you can't have any more kids.......jesus - she "didn't think she would be gone that long"???? what the hell are these people thinking??? she should not gwet those kids back - if she can't see the wrong in leaving children that young alone much less to go see jerry springer for goodness sake she does not need to be a mother - how could she sit there watching trailer trash and not even be worried her children could be hurt or in danger alone in a house?? STUPID
Posted by: truthbetold | Sunday, January 22, 2006 at 04:24 PM
Was it an episode about parents who neglect their kids? It would only be fitting.
What a flippin' idiot!
Posted by: Crazy Politico | Sunday, January 22, 2006 at 04:33 PM
absolutely-when someone is convicted of child endangerment they should not be allowed to have any more children-tubes tied!
Posted by: splashtc | Sunday, January 22, 2006 at 04:33 PM
There is a black pool of emptiness inside of me growing ever larger everytime I hear about occurrences involving children, possibly to numb my brain from trying to imagine the many things that could possibly happen making me go nuts. You just don't leave small children alone and unprotected! Is it so frigging hard to understand? Any number of things could happen! This calls for forced sterilization / vasectomy!!!
A number of forced meetings on the matter with some people in Childcare would not be out of place, but the people on the receiving end of the lessons will need to have a brain, and there lies the problem...
Posted by: one angry dude | Sunday, January 22, 2006 at 05:42 PM
There is a black pool of emptiness inside of me which grows ever larger every time I hear about occurrences involving children. Possibly its purpose is to numb my brain from trying to imagine the many things that could possibly happen, which could make me go insane. You just don't leave small children alone and unprotected! Is it so frigging hard to understand? Any number of things could happen! This calls for forced sterilization / vasectomy!
A number of forced meetings on the matter with some people in childcare would not be out of place, but the people on the receiving end of the lessons will need to have a brain, and therein lies the problem...
Posted by: one angry dude | Sunday, January 22, 2006 at 05:45 PM
When I first read the title on this story yesterday, I was thinking, 'okay, so she left 2 young ones with a 13 year old for a couple of hours or something and the kid decided to leave.' Just trying to give her the benefit of the doubt. Then I read and I wanted to weep. Thank God these kids got brains from someone else in the family and went to the neighbors. My heart aches.
Posted by: abigail | Sunday, January 22, 2006 at 08:25 PM
Three children under FOUR? How many fathers? What a piece of trash -- she belongs ON the Jerry Springer show, not in the audience. She only got 30 days? Pffft. No doubt she'll be pregnant again by her latest boyfriend. That judge was too lenient -- she should have been spayed.
Posted by: Mimi | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 12:01 AM
Mimi--
I thought she was doing a "live" show on Springer about how she had just left her kids! :) hahahha!
Yes, loverly mommy. I wonder if her kids will say, "remember when that time you left us to go see Jerry Springer...."
Posted by: abigail | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 12:05 AM
Wow, the people whove responded to this post are virulent! You'd think that she'd strapped her children into a van and let it roll into a river to get back with with her ex-boyfriend. Context people! Rationality, relativity, and reasonability, there are very stupid mistakes, then there's deliberate abuse. They're not the same and should not be treated as such.
Posted by: justthefactspls | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 01:09 AM
Wow, the people whove responded to this post are virulent! You'd think that she'd strapped her children into a van and let it roll into a river to get back with with her ex-boyfriend. Context people! Rationality, relativity, and reasonability, there are very stupid mistakes, then there's deliberate abuse. They're not the same and should not be treated as such.
Posted by: justthefactspls | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 01:09 AM
are you kidding me????? BE REAL!!! 3 CHILDREN UNDER 4 YEARS OLD - UNDER 4!!!! Can you even imagine what could have happened? what if they tried to use the stove or a knife or any number of things that could have got them killed or hurt? who was there to feed them? not abuse? not deliberate? BULL
Don't tell me this woman had no clue it was wrong when she did this - it shoudl tell you all you need to know that she would sit through the springer show and not once say "gee are my kids ok?" the fact she even left them alone should tell you everything.if this woman truly does not understand a toddler can't be left alone while she trots off for hours then she does not need to have her kids back.
Posted by: truthbetold | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 03:31 AM
Just the facts...
You are joking I hope? In case you're not, there are LAWS that state children under the age of 12 are not to be left alone, at least in the state I live. I guess there are laws like that for the likes of you and this woman who don't have the sense God gave you when it comes to raising children.
What if they decided to go outside to play? They aren't even old enough to cross the street unsupervised.
Posted by: jadensmokes | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 01:10 PM
So, some people are crying out for forced sterilisation of the people who abuse or neglect their kids. Are you kidding? Don't want to go offending the good old civil liberty people, besides which you would probably never get it passed the left wing liberals who seem to be in control of so much in the US. Ordinary common sense counts for nothing as usual!!
Posted by: annie | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 03:22 PM
I know here in Virginia you cannot leave anyone under 12, but there is still a law (from my understanding) that even at 12 you can only leave them for a certain amount of time during certain times of the day. Daycares have to accept kids up to the age of 12, because of these laws.
Some people just don't deserve to be parents. Don't deserve the joy of it. Evidently these "parents" don't, otherwise they would not risk leaving their kids alone and risk the possibility of them being taken away. What if they decided to cook because they were hungry? What if they did go outside like JS said? Could have burned the house down with them in it, could have been hit by a car, could have been kidnapped. Who decides to leave the kids? The "mother" said she did not think they would be gone that long????? What? Going to check the mailbox is long enough! IMO!
Posted by: abigail | Monday, January 23, 2006 at 08:18 PM