Father Rebuilt His Six-Year-Old Son’s Cast at Home—Then a Rusted Key and Hidden Note Fell Out Inside the Clinic
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Chapter 23 / 27
Chapter 23 - THE CRIMINAL CASERichard eventually chose trial on the principal child-abuse charge and accepted a separate negotiated resolution on some lesser conduct.
The prosecution did not argue:
He deliberately shattered Tommy’s tibia.
They could not prove it.
They argued:
He used unreasonable physical force during the original incident.
He lied about the circumstances.
He later failed to obtain appropriate care after the medical cast was damaged.
He created an unsafe replacement that caused additional injury.
And he took steps to conceal information relevant to the family dispute.
The defense argued:
Panicked father.
Messy divorce.
Accidental fall.
Bad home medical judgment.
Manipulative mother.
Suggestible child.
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Some of those arguments deserved consideration.
That is what trials are for.
Related Stories
Chapter 24 - I TESTIFYI wore navy.
Chapter 25 - THE VERDICTRichard was convicted on the principal child-abuse-related offense the jury found proved and on a medical-neglect/endangerment count tied to the homemade cast.
Chapter 26 - THE LAST X-RAYEight months after Tommy first came to our clinic, Dr. Grant showed him his final X-ray.
Chapter 27 - The EndTwo years after I opened Tommy Hale’s homemade cast, he came back to the clinic because he hurt his wrist falling off a scooter.
