UPDATE: Castlewood Father Behind Bars After Child Abuse Conviction
Michael Park, the father convicted of child abuse in Russell County, is now facing an 11-year prison sentence than ensued from a devastating series of criminally negligent actions. The charges against him also included neglect causing injury and reckless endangerment.
A Tragic Series of Events
Michael Park and his live-in girlfriend were found guilty of keeping a child in an outside building with deplorable conditions, providing only a bucket for sanitation. The child, now in the custody of family members in another state, had to endure a leg amputation due to frostbite.
Verdict and Sentencing
Park was sentenced to 15 years in total, with four years suspended by the Circuit Court Judge. For the charge of Child Abuse and Neglect Causing Serious Injury, he received ten years of which two were suspended. For Reckless Endangerment of a Child, he received five years with two years suspended. His sentencing exceeded the guidelines stating initiative incarceration of only eleven months to two years and seven months.
A System Fails
The utmost penalty for Child Abuse Causing Serious Injury as per the law is ten years, and for Reckless Endangerment, it is five years. Yet, this case brought to light the possible inadequacy of current sentencing guidelines. Zach Stoots, the Commonwealth’s Attorney prosecuting the case, remarked, “We are pleased with the jury verdict in the case and glad that the Court departed from the sentencing guidelines.”
A Combined Effort and Plea for More
Zach Stoots made a successful argument during the trial that the sentencing guidelines did not aptly suit the intensity of this case and thus called for the maximum sentence, which was of fifteen years. This case involved extensive investigation by the Russell County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia State Police leading to eventual conviction and sentence. A collective appreciation goes to the investigators, the Commonwealth’s Attorney Zack Stoots, and Chief Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jessica Jackson for making it possible.
