Legal News

If The Child Comes to Be, You Must Set Her Free

By Ashby Jones

It’s not like we’re all that familiar with plea agreements, but we can honestly say this is the strangest one we’ve ever come across.

The story comes to us from Baltimore. A 22-year-old woman accused of starving her infant son to death pleaded guilty Monday afternoon to one count of child abuse. She’ll reportedly be released from jail in exchange for her cooperation against her co-defendants, who prosecutors say are fellow members of a cult called 1 Mind Ministries.

But here’s the thing: the agreement with the woman includes a promise that charges will be dropped if the 2-year-old child is resurrected. The attorney for the defendant says his client, Ria Ramkissoon, still holds out hope that her son will be brought back to life. Click here for the story, from the Baltimore Sun.

The strangeness doesn’t end here. Prosecutors say the five suspects belonged to a small group of adults and children whose leader, Queen Antoinette, is accused of ordering members in January 2007 to withhold food and water from the child. Queen Antoinette reportedly believed the child was a demon because he did not say “Amen” after he was fed, according to a statement of facts read by prosecutors.

Defense attorney Steven D. Silverman said Ramkissoon is still brainwashed by the cult and will undergo two eight-hour sessions of “deprogramming” with a cult expert after she is released.

“Ria does not to this day believe she was victimized by a cult,” Silverman said. “She believes that the child will be resurrected, and that if she gives up hope of that happening, it would call decisions she’s made in the past into question.”

Prosecutors said the resurrection clause of the agreement stipulates a “Jesus-like resurrection, which is distinguished from a reincarnation” as an animal or object.

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on March 31, 2009 (boomark / email).