this post was submitted on 23 Mar 2025
835 points (99.4% liked)

News

36086 readers
3141 users here now

Welcome to the News community!

Rules:

1. Be civil


Attack the argument, not the person. No racism/sexism/bigotry. Good faith argumentation only. This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban. Do not respond to rule-breaking content; report it and move on.


2. All posts should contain a source (url) that is as reliable and unbiased as possible and must only contain one link.


Obvious biased sources will be removed at the mods’ discretion. Supporting links can be added in comments or posted separately but not to the post body. Sources may be checked for reliability using Wikipedia, MBFC, AdFontes, GroundNews, etc.


3. No bots, spam or self-promotion.


Only approved bots, which follow the guidelines for bots set by the instance, are allowed.


4. Post titles should be the same as the article used as source. Clickbait titles may be removed.


Posts which titles don’t match the source may be removed. If the site changed their headline, we may ask you to update the post title. Clickbait titles use hyperbolic language and do not accurately describe the article content. When necessary, post titles may be edited, clearly marked with [brackets], but may never be used to editorialize or comment on the content.


5. Only recent news is allowed.


Posts must be news from the most recent 30 days.


6. All posts must be news articles.


No opinion pieces, Listicles, editorials, videos, blogs, press releases, or celebrity gossip will be allowed. All posts will be judged on a case-by-case basis. Mods may use discretion to pre-approve videos or press releases from highly credible sources that provide unique, newsworthy content not available or possible in another format.


7. No duplicate posts.


If an article has already been posted, it will be removed. Different articles reporting on the same subject are permitted. If the post that matches your post is very old, we refer you to rule 5.


8. Misinformation is prohibited.


Misinformation / propaganda is strictly prohibited. Any comment or post containing or linking to misinformation will be removed. If you feel that your post has been removed in error, credible sources must be provided.


9. No link shorteners or news aggregators.


All posts must link to original article sources. You may include archival links in the post description. News aggregators such as Yahoo, Google, Hacker News, etc. should be avoided in favor of the original source link. Newswire services such as AP, Reuters, or AFP, are frequently republished and may be shared from other credible sources.


10. Don't copy entire article in your post body


For copyright reasons, you are not allowed to copy an entire article into your post body. This is an instance wide rule, that is strictly enforced in this community.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Summary

A West Virginia couple, Jeanne Kay Whitefeather and Donald Lantz, received prison sentences of 215 and 160 years, respectively, for forcing their five adopted Black children into slave labor.

Authorities discovered the abuse after a welfare check revealed children locked in a shed without water or sanitation.

The couple, charged with human trafficking, child neglect, and forced labor, targeted the children because of their race.

The court ordered them to pay $280,000 in restitution each.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] Arbiter@lemmy.world 225 points 11 months ago (3 children)

“I just want the court to know that I have made mistakes I am very sorry for that and I love my children and I have never, ever, done anything to my ... children to harm them intentionally,”

So what, you just accidentally locked them in a shed and forced them into slave labor? What the fuck is this apology.

[–] Adulated_Aspersion@lemmy.world 100 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I wonder if they have biological children and meant them.

Source: haven't read the article.

Edit: read the article. Still don't know.

[–] NobodyElse@sh.itjust.works 81 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I’m just surprised that the apology didn’t mention Jesus even once.

[–] TachyonTele@lemm.ee 29 points 11 months ago

Brain farts and prayers

[–] NateNate60@lemmy.world 54 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Even though by the time the hearing commences, the judge has already usually decided on the sentence, every competent criminal defence lawyer will advise their client to grovel and beg for mercy at the sentencing for two reasons:

  1. Acting recalcitrant could upset the judge and result in a heavier sentence than the judge originally planned because they feel a need to make an example of the defendant.
  2. Not being apologetic damages your future chances of parole when the parole board looks at the tape or record of the sentencing.
[–] Tedesche@lemmy.world 33 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Ah, yes, the parole they might receive when the parole board reviews their case in [checks watch] 80-100 years.

[–] NateNate60@lemmy.world 14 points 11 months ago (1 children)

There's also the possibility of appeals to get the sentence reduced. And the defendant's family can apply for pardons. Pardons and commutations are usually associated with political grift in the US (and this is a well-deserved reputation), but they can also be applied for and governors occasionally grant them to prisoners who demonstrate they're reformed even when they're not otherwise eligible for parole.

Grovelling before the judge and acting like you accept you are guilty for sixty minutes costs nothing on the part of the defendant anyway.

[–] Tedesche@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

I understand. I was mainly just making a joke.

[–] finitebanjo@lemmy.world 13 points 11 months ago

Pro-Tip for any actual monsters hiding in human skin: deflection of all wrongdoing is not a great apology.