Wisconsin Supreme Court Upholds Faith Healing Homicide Convictions

In State of Wisconsin v. Neumann, (WI Sup. Ct., July 3, 2013), the Wisconsin Superme Court in a 6-1 decision upheld the second degree reckless homicide convictions of the parents of an 11-year old girl who treated her undiagnosed diabetes with prayer instead of seeking medical treatment. The Court concluded, among other things, that the state statutes gave the parents sufficient notice that their conduct would carry criminal sanctions if their daughter died, despite a statute that protected faith-healing parents from child abuse charges. The court also rejected defendants' complaints regarding jury instructions relating to their sincere religious beliefs. Justice Prosser dissented, saying he was primarily interested in encouraging the bench, bar and legislature to revisit some of the troublesome questions posed by these cases. AP reports on the decision.