Child Abuse
People v. Deborah M. Defendant, an elementary school principal, and her husband, a sheriff with Los Angeles County, were arrested and charged with felony conspiracy to commit child abuse and misdemeanor child abuse. The allegations included punishing their 13 year old son by making him sleep outside on the dog blanket, pouring cold water on him to wake him in the morning, moving piles of bricks from one side of the yard to the other and back again, not being able to eat meals in the house with other family members, and putting dog feces in his school backpack when he failed to pick up after the dog. After jury trial defendant was found not guilty of the felony charge and the misdemeanor charge was dismissed.