Purvi Patel sentenced to 30 years for death of her child
Posted: Mar 30, 2015 11:46 AM EST | Updated: Mar 30, 2015 7:45 PM EST
ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Ind. - Purvi Patel, the woman who dumped her newborn child in a dumpster in Mishawaka, was sentenced on neglect of a dependent and feticide charges Monday morning.
Prosecutor Mark Roule asked the judge for a 40 year sentence for Patel. Thirty years for the neglect of a dependent charge and 10 years for the feticide charge, to run consecutively.
He said this was a crime of convenience.
“A baby cannot be more dependent or vulnerable,” said Roule.
Defense attorney Jeff Sanford wanted her sentenced to 20 years with those years suspended.
"This is an unfortunate case and I don't think she is the monster she is portrayed to be,” said Sanford.
When announcing the sentence, Judge Elizabeth Hurley said she considered the fact Patel has no criminal history and expressed remorse in a letter to the court.
Patel was asked if she had anything to say in court, but she declined to speak.
On the feticide charge, the judge found no aggravating factors.
"I find aggravating as your treatment of the baby as literally a piece of trash,” said Hurley.
She did find aggravating factors in the neglect of a dependent charge.
"By not taking steps to try and get help you took away any chance at all the baby could have lived past the first couple minutes of life,” said Judge Hurley. "With no medical help, you ensured that baby's death by putting him in the trash."
Patel was sentenced on the neglect of a dependent charge to 30 years in prison with 20 years executed, 10 suspended. She will also serve five years probation.
For the feticide charge, she was sentenced to 6 years in prison, to run concurrently with her neglect of a dependent sentence.
Patel's parents were emotional after the sentence was announced.
Patel was taken out of court in handcuffs and given the opportunity to hug her parents.
Monday afternoon we spoke with her attorney, Jeff Sanford, by phone.
“The sentencing could have been worse, it could have been better, there are numerous issues to appeal, I have not been retained for appeal yet but if I am I will be filing one,” said Sanford.
The Patel case has captured the attention of the group the Indiana Coalition for Reproductive Justice.
Members of this group have been present throughout the trial and vocal about their disagreements with the state's stance on this case and despite the judge's sentencing they stand by their beliefs--- and Patel
“Through continuing education and advocacy to continue to change hearts and minds, to talk about this, to write about this, to support Purvi Patel anyway we can,” said Carolyn Meagher with the Indiana Coalition for Reproductive Justice.
Patel has 30 days to file an appeal.
Prosecutor Mark Roule asked the judge for a 40 year sentence for Patel. Thirty years for the neglect of a dependent charge and 10 years for the feticide charge, to run consecutively.
He said this was a crime of convenience.
“A baby cannot be more dependent or vulnerable,” said Roule.
Defense attorney Jeff Sanford wanted her sentenced to 20 years with those years suspended.
"This is an unfortunate case and I don't think she is the monster she is portrayed to be,” said Sanford.
When announcing the sentence, Judge Elizabeth Hurley said she considered the fact Patel has no criminal history and expressed remorse in a letter to the court.
Patel was asked if she had anything to say in court, but she declined to speak.
On the feticide charge, the judge found no aggravating factors.
"I find aggravating as your treatment of the baby as literally a piece of trash,” said Hurley.
She did find aggravating factors in the neglect of a dependent charge.
"By not taking steps to try and get help you took away any chance at all the baby could have lived past the first couple minutes of life,” said Judge Hurley. "With no medical help, you ensured that baby's death by putting him in the trash."
Patel was sentenced on the neglect of a dependent charge to 30 years in prison with 20 years executed, 10 suspended. She will also serve five years probation.
For the feticide charge, she was sentenced to 6 years in prison, to run concurrently with her neglect of a dependent sentence.
Patel's parents were emotional after the sentence was announced.
Patel was taken out of court in handcuffs and given the opportunity to hug her parents.
Monday afternoon we spoke with her attorney, Jeff Sanford, by phone.
“The sentencing could have been worse, it could have been better, there are numerous issues to appeal, I have not been retained for appeal yet but if I am I will be filing one,” said Sanford.
The Patel case has captured the attention of the group the Indiana Coalition for Reproductive Justice.
Members of this group have been present throughout the trial and vocal about their disagreements with the state's stance on this case and despite the judge's sentencing they stand by their beliefs--- and Patel
“Through continuing education and advocacy to continue to change hearts and minds, to talk about this, to write about this, to support Purvi Patel anyway we can,” said Carolyn Meagher with the Indiana Coalition for Reproductive Justice.
Patel has 30 days to file an appeal.
