State
of Florida
Office of the State Attorney
16th Judicial Circuit
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Office of the State Attorney 16th Judicial Circuit
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Criminal Justice System Overview Employment Opportunities |
August 31, 2005 Calling the sentence “one of the most difficult decisions this court has ever faced,” Circuit Court Judge Mark Jones today ordered Sarah Bleckley, 25, to serve five years behind bars and ten years probation for the manslaughter of her newborn daughter in 2003. Early on the morning of May 18, 2003 a security guard at the Key West Radisson found the body of a newborn girl in a plastic bag in a hotel stairwell. Monroe County Medical Examiner Michael Hunter determined that the baby had been born alive. Bleckley was indicted for the manslaughter by a Monroe County grand jury in October, 2003. At today’s sentencing hearing, Bleckley’s family and supporters -- including her parents, an aunt and uncle, a Sunday school teacher and a psychologist – spoke emotionally on Bleckley’s behalf. In his final statement, Assistant State Attorney Manny Madruga who prosecuted the case, lamented the fact that none of Bleckley’s supporters spoke on behalf of her baby. Delivering his sentence, Judge Jones described the complexities of the case, including Bleckley’s history of mental illness. But finally, Jones said of Bleckley’s baby, “She needed her mom to protect [her]. You did just the opposite.” |
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Last modified:
10/23/07
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