Lengel: Freezer Mom's Parental Rights Hearing Is Absurd

June 30, 2015, 3:03 PM

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Mitchelle Blair (Fox 2 photo)

On and off over many years, I have covered state and federal courts.

I get the concept of due process. But in this case, it was ridiculous and a waste of taxpayers' money to have addressed the issue.

For days there was testimony in court in Wayne County about whether the "freezer mom,"Mitchelle Blair, who is charged with killing two of her children, should be allowed to have parental rights for her surviving two children.

Shockingly, on Tuesday Judge Edward J. Joseph terminated Blair’s parental rights to her 8-year-old son and her 17-year-old daughter. That must have been one tough decision, particularly since it came after Blair this week admitted in court to killing two children. 

Granted, the hearing was also to address whether the two fathers of the surviving children should have parental rights.  WDIV reports that the judge has ordered the fathers to undergo psychiatric examinations to determine their parental rights.

Still, with the mother behind bars, charged with murdering her two kids, why would the court have wasted a moment focusing on Blair's rights?

All the court had to do was let her murder case play out a bit more, and the parental issue would have resolved itself. 

Our justice system needs to be smarter. 



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