A layman’s look at the current motions
By Pastor Rod Carver
Not just going through the motions

The motions for a “new trial” and “arrest of judgment” in many cases are formalities when such a harsh sentence has been handed down.  In this case they are real issues.  The issues with the motion for arrest of judgment Several things are at issue. 

• First of all you cannot send someone to jail for life without the possibility of parole for what equates to first degree pre-meditated murder when you prove no intent.  Remember the prosecutions reasoning for Hannah not seeking medical attention was “just losing it.”  From my simple, non-legal, mind I have a hard time seeing someone not doing something by just losing it.  Acts of violence are done when someone just loses it, not acts of delay, treating symptoms and then rushing to the hospital.   There were no witnesses who stated that Hannah ever “just lost it,” most of the testimony stated that she seemed too calm during the whole event.  Just losing it does not fit with the prosecutions accusations.
  
  
• Secondly you must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Hannah intended to murder Andrew by knowingly delaying seeking medical attention and knowing that that delay would cause the death of Andrew.  No such proof was ever given.  The facts point to Hannah treating symptoms which could be attributed to a multitude non-life threatening illnesses or reactions.  She then rushed to the hospital, leaving her home within an hour and a half from the time the first symptoms appeared in Andrew.  If you add this to the fact that the jury did not find Hannah guilty of poisoning Andrew, at most you have a terrible accident.
  

A very gentle and loving mother of 5 was sentenced today for failing to act or provide medical attention for her son, whom, unknown to her, had ingested something that would ultimately kill him.  Nine months of CPS investigation could not find her guilty of child abuse.  Ten months of the DA’s investigation and 8 days of testimony could not convince the jury that she purposely poisoned this little boy.

What is she guilty of?  Not discerning the signs of salt intoxication from the signs of a common flu.  Now five children are without a mother. Did she act?  When cold, she warmed him with a blanket and a warm bath.  When his breathing was affected she gave him a breathing treatment.  When he did not respond to her care, she rushed him to the hospital and on the way he stopped breathing.  She gave him CPR in the car and again at the urgent care clinic until the paramedics arrived.  Is this failure to act?  At the hospital the doctors even shot sodium into his veins because they also did not recognize the signs of salt intoxication.

I love you guys so much, keep praying! God has given us so many promises of His deliverance. He cannot lie. Pray for Wednesday, for courage for the judge to make the right decision to let me out of here. I will be strong in the Lord. Pray for me for my health, my blood pressure especially. Pray for and take care of my family. Pray for Emma to take a bottle okay. Pray that God will hold my kids and my husband in the palm of His hand and comfort them until He brings me back to them and give them strength, me too. Pray for courage and strength and rest for me. Pray that I can soon get a bible and that God would give me opportunity to tell others of His love this week. Give my family lots of hugs and kisses for me! Give them my love. Just Don’t Stop Praying! God can and will do miracles, He promised!

All My Love,

Learning to rest in my Savior,

Hannah

Last October, I lost my son Andrew.  I cannot begin to tell you of the grief of that time—we had always dreamed of adopting and were so thrilled and thankful when Andrew came to be a part of our family.  Nothing in my life could have prepared me for his loss and nothing could have prepared me for the legal events that have followed.  This time last year I was a small business owner living in a community I loved, excited about the coming adoption of my son and also about the news that we had a new baby on the way.  Today I find myself having to explain to my children why their mother is not coming home.

By now many of you have heard about the verdict rendered by the jury in the case of our sister Hannah Overton.  As you can imagine, Friday’s events have brought even further grief to our church family in a time of already being in mourning for Andrew.  For those of us who know Hannah, Larry and the children, it seems incomprehensible that members of the public could think the worst of them.  We know them as loving, compassionate, generous members of this community.  We celebrated their decision to adopt Andrew.  We witnessed their excitement as he came into their family, and we saw Andrew blossom under their loving care.  Last October we grieved heavily with them in the loss of their son and now we find ourselves defending their honor and trying to somehow share their story to a public in which some seem to have already made up their minds about this tragedy.