10,047

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a Congressman, went to each bedroom and shot and killed

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four of her children. She was found by the psychiatrist

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to be sane. The jury found her to be sane. At that point,

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I felt as defense counsel there were only two decisions that

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they could bring in, either not guilty, or first d egree

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murder.

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Under the Maryland law the jury compromised and I

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felt it was an excellent compromise. The jury found her

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guilty of manslauther, and the judge sentenced her to ten

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years in prison for each of the deaths, to serve concurrently.

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That woman has tried to commit suicide at least

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four times. Had they found her guilty, the judge could have

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sentenced her to death. Had they found her not guilty I

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am positive she would be dead within a week by her own hand,

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and the jury could not have brought in manslaughter if this

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was not in our Constitution. The jury would have either had

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to find her not guilty, and then tried to live with themselves

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knowing that she did shoot those four children, or found her

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guilty, and take the chance that she would be put to death

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anyway.

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And perhaps, through the years that she is