The fate of Joseph Robert Patterson awaits the decision of the Lincoln County State Attorney’s office, which is reevaluating the charges it filed against the 27-year-old for allegedly beating Adrian Peterson’s two-year-old son.
According to the New York Daily News, Peterson had only recently learned that he was the boy’s father, as the child was the product of a tryst between him and a South Dakota woman.
Patterson, a coffee salesman, had been dating the child’s mother and was carrying for him when the alleged beating occurred on October 9. He called 911 around 5:45 pm that Wednesday, claiming that the child was choking and nonresponsive. After two days in critical condition, Peterson’s son was removed from life support as he had succumbed to his injuries.
The State Attorney’s office charged Patterson with aggravated felony assault and battery of an infant, which could result in up to 40 years in prison if convicted. But given the child’s recent death, Patterson is likely to face greater charges.
Potential New Charges for Patterson
The gravity of the charges will depend, in part, on the outcome of a preliminary police investigation, which should take into account the nature of the injuries sustained by the toddler and any evidence that Patterson had intended the child’s death.
Should there be some evidence that Patterson intended to kill the two-year-old, he likely will face a first degree murder charge. This would mean that, if convicted, Patterson would serve the maximum sentence of life in prison, or he even could face the death penalty.
Absent evidence of intent, however, a lesser charge of first degree manslaughter could be on the table. This charge would carry a sentence of life imprisonment but the court would have discretion to reduce his sentence. Given Patterson’s past history of violence against children, he is unlikely to find himself in a court’s favor.
History of Domestic Violence
According to reports by the Argus Leader, Patterson previously had been charged with assaulting the mother of his own child and her three-year-old son in June of 2012.
The mother sought a protective order against Patterson, in which she stated that he spanked her three-year-old child so hard that the boy developed welts and required ice to ease the swelling.
According to the mother, Patterson then grabbed her by the throat when she communicated that his behavior was inappropriate.
“He has threaten (sic) to kill me multiple times,” she wrote.
The mother had applied for a protective order against Patterson twice before, although there is no indication that those requests had been granted. On that final occasion in 2012, however, the court issued her a protective order, although Patterson still refused to stay away from the woman.
Ultimately, Patterson was sentenced to one year in jail. But the court suspended the sentence under the condition that he attend domestic violence counseling.
* * *
It is not yet known whether the mother of Peterson’s child was aware of Patterson’s past or had previously seen him exhibit violent behavior, before letting him care for the two-year-old toddler. She has yet to make any public statements.
In a news conference on Friday, however, the Minnesota Vikings’ star running back asked the media for privacy and said that he would play in Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
No comments:
Post a Comment