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Wausau mother given probation in baby’s death arrested again

By Associated Press   May 22, 2008 - 11:57 a.m.

WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) — A mother given a second chance by a judge after her child died while she was high on methamphetamine has been arrested again.

Everest Metro Police records say 26-year-old Jessica Kasten of Wausau was arrested Wednesday night and cited for drunken driving. Records say her two children, ages 2 and 3, were in the vehicle.

Kasten was sentenced to 10 years probation in April after she pleaded no contest to child neglect causing the death of her 6-month-old baby in 2007.

The mother told investigators she slept for about 18 hours after taking methamphetamine. The baby died of asphyxiation in a bassinet.

Police records say Kasten’s blood-alcohol level Wednesday was at least 0.11 percent. The legal limit to drive is 0.08 percent.




reader COMMENTS (15)
bn1967
May 23, 2008 at 6:56 a.m.
Suggest removal

Don't these judges look up these peoples records on WCCA??? My gosh, I did and this looser has a record of drugs and dui/dwi! Let's just hope if these children are taken from her (which I'm sure they won't be/they'll just make her take a parenting or drug/alcohol class and give them back)they aren't given to one of her relatives who lets her have them anyway. She has issues and exposing these children to her lifestyle is just stupid. She can't get her act together long enough to care anything for her children.

giveahoot
May 23, 2008 at 6:05 a.m.
Suggest removal

I suppose that the DA should also share in the blame to an extent, but the judge has the descretion to change a plea bargain at sentencing and too many lack whatever it takes to apply the law in a fair and consistent way.

The point was made earlier here that there are plenty of advocates for the unborn and rightfully so) but nobody advocates for small children who are assaulted or even murdered by their parents. That is a very good point.

This lady should have done some significant time for the death of her first one and should not have had custody of the other two.

We can agree that the system is messed up but what's even worse is that nobody seems to get upset over the leniency granted to these unfit and dangerous parents

ms_sassy_wi
May 22, 2008 at 8:40 p.m.
Suggest removal

too often, that is for sure. bleeding heart judge? sometimes, yes! I blame most of it on DA's who plea bargain it down to something so minor that it's ridiculous...a misdemeanor that ends up with a penalty like a parking ticket would.

giveahoot
May 22, 2008 at 8:22 p.m.
Suggest removal

This lady should have done time for involuntary manslauter at the least. I blame the bleeding heart judge here. I am astounded that someone can walk for murder simply because they are the mother. That is just plain warped, and it happens all the time.

danias
May 22, 2008 at 7:33 p.m.
Suggest removal

Lock her up and throw away the keys!! If she doesn't want to get the help she needs she doesn't deserve her children. If the kids father or her family doesn't want to take care of these children please give them to a family that will love them so they too don't wind up dead.

whatcomesaround
May 22, 2008 at 6:53 p.m.
Suggest removal

WOW!
Sure she got arrested...but she will have the kids back in no time. My husband fostered a little baby boy that suffered abuse including 2nd degree burns on the lower half of his body from a bath of scalding hot water. The so called mother got him back after a safe parenting class and a slap on the hand.
The parents have more rights than the children! I only wish this piece of trash poor excuse for a muther gets what she deserves!
Lets give her all the Meth and alcohol she wants. With a little luck, she will not be a burden to her kids or society anymore!

upnorthwi
May 22, 2008 at 5:16 p.m.
Suggest removal

I'd like to know why she served no time in the first place. That and she should be required to be in rehab and take parenting classes..3 kids all in 3 years!!

ms_sassy_wi
May 22, 2008 at 2:51 p.m.
Suggest removal

sounds great...but a lot of people believe that we are offering too many handouts to parents who aren't doing a good job of parenting. entitlements, I think they call them...(not training or family monitoring)

Now I'm just getting frustrated by the system and the news. perhaps I should give the gazette a break for a couple of days...

intrigued
May 22, 2008 at 2:21 p.m.
Suggest removal

Just another example of how we really hate children in this country. The unborn ones have all the advocates. The born ones we just leave to chance.

Changing this situation will take money. Money to pay decently trained and not overtaxed social services staff. Money to hire sufficient social services staff so that they can actually get involved in the lives of at risk children by spending time in the home on a daily basis to monitor the situation, provide training and assess the parents drug/alcohol issues. Then the parents need access to drug/alcohol treatment that works and continued follow-up.

Any parent who won't comply simply loses their parental rights and the children are put up for adoption.

ms_sassy_wi
May 22, 2008 at 2:17 p.m.
Suggest removal

won't matter anyway...the courts will just say the kids aren't in immediate danger, such as the Texas courts with the pedophile ring, ooops, FLDS sect.

ms_sassy_wi
May 22, 2008 at 1:10 p.m.
Suggest removal

yeah, but take her kids WHERE?

tinkerb45
May 22, 2008 at 1:06 p.m.
Suggest removal

Lock her up & take her kids. Its really just that simple.

ms_sassy_wi
May 22, 2008 at 12:39 p.m.
Suggest removal

every county needs foster parents. problem is the courts only give foster parents about 18 months and then either require the children to go back to the parent or TPR (terminate parental rights). So the kids generally go back to the same situation they left and in that short amount of time, generally not enough progress is made, or it's easy for the parent to get back in to the "same old routine"...

lynda
May 22, 2008 at 12:16 p.m.
Suggest removal

I feel these mothers aren't the ones who should be raising these babies until they can prove they can provide a safe enviornment for them. It will be another generation of drugs drugs drugs. Too many courts and agencies give lienency to these people and they don't deserve it. Children are our future and should be raised with the utmost of care and the best education the United States can offer them.
This woman does not deserve her children. Can't anyone step in and do it right?

ms_sassy_wi
May 22, 2008 at 12:05 p.m.
Suggest removal

here we go again...the children of this mother have no hope for a decent life as long as they are with her.

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