TX - Five Yates children drowned, Houston, 20 June 2001 *Insanity*

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Appeals court overturns the murder conviction against Andrea Yates


AP report:

By The Associated Press

(01/06/05 - HOUSTON) — A state appeals court has overturned the capital murder convictions against Andrea Yates and ordered a new trial in the drownings of her children.

The Texas First Court of Appeals issued its ruling in Houston today in a 12-page opinion signed by court Justice Sam Nuchia.

A three-judge panel found that the Harris County trial jury might have been prejudiced against Yates by the false testimony of a prosecution expert.

Park Dietz testified he consulted on an episode of the N-B-C T-V show "Law and Order" about a woman with postpartum depression acquitted by reason of insanity in the drowning of her children. It was later revealed that no such program existed.

The Houston mother was serving a life sentence for the 2001 drownings of three of her five children. All five children were drowned in a bathtub at the family's home.
 
I don't know where to post this. I just read that Andrea Yates murder conviction was overturned. She's getting out?????????????????
 
Casshew said:
Overturned on what basis? psychological problems? maybe they will give her a new trial or commit her to a psychiatric hospital.

Personally, I know what she did was absolutely horrific, but I think she is sick in the head and should be committed. Not like that b!tch Susan Smith who knew exacty what she was doing. :hand:
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I agree. Susan Smith did it for completely selfish reasons. Andrea has major psychological problems and should be in an hospital for a long time.
 
I agree about Rusty. Remember some of the details of their lives before the killings? They lived in a SCHOOL BUS for a while! And he insisted they she home school all of the kids. The stress on that woman, who was so obviously very, very sick, must have been horrible. (Homeschooling is fine with me, but the person doing it has to really WANT to do it.) She will never get her children back and will live in agony for the rest of her life. She should at least get the medical help she needs in an appropriate setting instead of being in prison.
 
I agree about her husband too - how can he, knowing that she is sick, leave the chidlren in her care all alone ?? She should have been helped a long time ago.
 
Rachael said:
I agree. Susan Smith did it for completely selfish reasons. Andrea has major psychological problems and should be in an hospital for a long time.
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completely agree. I thought she was a poster case for the insanity plea and needing to be locked up in a hospital not a jail.
 
lisag said:
I agree about her husband too - how can he, knowing that she is sick, leave the chidlren in her care all alone ?? She should have been helped a long time ago.
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His mother came to the house every morning. Andrea only had the kids alone for like 1/2 hour in the morning. Rusty's mother was staying in a hotel I believe (she lives in a different state possibly FL or NC) to help Andrea with the children until she got better. I am not saying Rusty is a great guy. He definetly wore the pants in the relationship. I read the book. Andrea was getting help. She was even in the hospital a few times. I don't think anyone realized the severity of her illness or her own family would have been there helping her too.
 
I hated what she did but I always believed she was desperately mentally ill. Her severe post partum depression was not new news, as she had suffered mightily after previous births. I blame her husband, quite frankly. I think he and the family ignored the severity of her situation. I believe she had a major psychotic break. I don't believe she will ever be able to live in society again.
 
lcookster said:
I hated what she did but I always believed she was desperately mentally ill. Her severe post partum depression was not new news, as she had suffered mightily after previous births. I blame her husband, quite frankly. I think he and the family ignored the severity of her situation. I believe she had a major psychotic break. I don't believe she will ever be able to live in society again.
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I also do not believe she will ever be able to live in society again. I am sure she is suicidal.
 
I hope she has lots of friends and family and therapists who can keep her free of another Rusty - one more example of narcissist - "can you do what I say without question?" - terrifying.
 
Just because someone suffers from a mental illness does NOT mean they do not know right from wrong.

She waits until her husband leaves and kills her children (methodically and brutally) before her mother-in-law shows up and then calls the police and her husband.

She knew what she was doing, she knew it was wrong, and hopefully she will stay in prison where she richly deserves to be.
 
Just because someone suffers from a mental illness does NOT mean they do not know right from wrong.

She waits until her husband leaves and kills her children (methodically and brutally) before her mother-in-law shows up and then calls the police and her husband.

She knew what she was doing, she knew it was wrong, and hopefully she will stay in prison where she richly deserves to be.
 
kk's mom said:
I don't know where to post this. I just read that Andrea Yates murder conviction was overturned. She's getting out?????????????????
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I highly doubt it.

She deserves to be in prison and I imagine a second jury (if it even comes to that) will send her there.

Just because someone suffers from a mental illness DOES NOT MEAN they cannot differentiate between right and wrong.

She is a cold-blooded murderer of the worst kind.
 
She was never tried for the killings of two of the kids.
The convictions were for drowning three of them.


HOUSTON (AP) - Andrea Yates' capital murder convictions for drowning her children were overturned Thursday by an appeals court, which ruled a prosecution expert witness gave false testimony at her trial.

Yates' lawyers had argued at a hearing last month before a three-judge panel of the First Court of Appeals in Houston that psychiatrist Park Dietz was wrong when he said he consulted on an episode of the TV show "Law and Order" involving a woman found innocent by reason of insanity for drowning her children.

After jurors found Yates guilty, attorneys in the case and jurors learned no such episode existed.

"We conclude that there is a reasonable likelihood that Dr. Dietz's false testimony could have affected the judgment of the jury," the court ruled. "We further conclude that Dr. Dietz's false testimony affected the substantial rights of appellant."

Jurors in 2002 sentenced Yates to life in prison in the 2001 deaths of three of her children. She was not tried in the deaths of the other two.
 
Matt (Today program) just spoke with her mother and defense attorney--mom said she last spoke with Andrea three weeks ago and she is "much better." Apparently she was transferred to another facility few months ago and put on different medications and no longer on suicidal watch. When Matt asked mom if Andrea was a "changed person", she responded that she felt remorse but was "at peace." Defense attorney said he was surprised but not shocked about decision, but something about testimony from expert witness was shown to be not accurate and without same testimony at new trial, prosecution has weaker case.
 
Casshew said:
Overturned on what basis? psychological problems? maybe they will give her a new trial or commit her to a psychiatric hospital.

Personally, I know what she did was absolutely horrific, but I think she is sick in the head and should be committed. Not like that b!tch Susan Smith who knew exacty what she was doing. :hand:
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I could not agee with you more Cass.......you're absolutely right.

His the story............read it again all of you!

http://www.1stcoa.courts.state.tx.us/opinions/htmlopinion.asp?OpinionId=81308

xxxxxxxxooooooo
mama
 
Since Andrea was convicted there have been at least 3 mothers in Texas who killed their children (all suffering post partum depression) found not guilty by reason of insanity and none of them had the documented long-term history of severe mental illness that Andrea did. This was not justice - more like a lynch mob. Andrea is so sick that she borders on catatonic without meds. Her husband Rusty "we'll have as many children as God gives us" Yates is the one who belongs in prison, not Andrea. Despite worsening depression wih each child and the advice of Drs he continued to insist Andrea have more babies - and be responsible for the care and education of all the children without help.
Andrea is a very sick woman who needs lifetime care in an appropriate institution - not prison.
And yes husband Rusty is in the process of divorcing her because he wishes to move on and remarry and have more children. Since he is free to do whatever he wants hopefully he will choose a spouse who does not suffer from depression this time because it is apparent he plans to father another large family.
Andrea deserves a 2nd chance at proper justice - She deserves to pay for what she did and she should be confined for life but I don't feel she belongs in prison.
 
Sleuth said:
I highly doubt it.

She deserves to be in prison and I imagine a second jury (if it even comes to that) will send her there.

Just because someone suffers from a mental illness DOES NOT MEAN they cannot differentiate between right and wrong.

She is a cold-blooded murderer of the worst kind.
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I disagree, but that's my opinion....
 
lisag said:
I am not sure how I feel about this... She was obviously sick, but.... I dunno... All I can think of is those poor babies and how scared they must have been.
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I'm with ya there Lisa....... What those poor children must have been thinking. Bless their poor little hearts!!!

I really don't care what they do with her as long as she is locked away forever.

The only thing I can think of is there were signs before all of this happened - what went wrong? I tend to blame the husband to a degree.
 
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