Carson City man receives maximum sentence in 2011 child abuse case
A 28-year-old Carson City man was sentenced in Carson City District Court Monday to the maximum sentence of 28 months up to 72 months in prison for one count of child abuse.
Franklin Laidley was convicted of crimes that happened between May 1 and May 13, 2011, in which he physically abused his live-in girlfriend’s six-month old daughter, said Carson City District Attorney Neil A. Rombardo.
The six-month old child sustained blunt force trauma to her head. According to the Criminal Information filed by the District Attorney’s Office, the injuries were consistent with the child being intentionally injured by being shaken and/or struck.
At sentencing, the defense argued that the child was doing better and the defendant accepted culpability for his acts, but whether there are permanent effects caused by the injury is still unknown. Assistant District Attorney Mark Krueger argued that the defendant never accepted culpability for his acts, and he still has not accepted responsibility for the injuries he inflicted. Dr. Amezaga, who assessed the defendant’s risk to reoffend, found that the defendant was a high risk to commit child abuse again. As a result the District Attorney’s office argued that the serious nature of the abuse and high risk to reoffend warranted the maximum sentence and urged the court to send a message that this type of behavior is unacceptable.
“It is the role of the District Attorney’s Office to provide justice for all victims, especially when the victim is a six month old child that cannot even protect herself or tell us what happened.” said Rombardo in a released statement.
In this case, District Court Judge, James T. Russell, agreed and sentenced the defendant to the maximum sentence allowable by law.