March 31, 2011
A Titusville woman, who is accused of putting a baby in a cooler where it was found dead, asked a judge to lower her bond so she can get out of jail on Thursday.
However, the judge refused on the grounds that Carolyn Miller is now facing aggravated manslaughter charges.
Police revealed the baby was wrapped in red tape, and prosecutors said, not only was the babysitter smoking crack-cocaine, she was visiting gambling clubs when she was supposed to be watching the boy.
"She is in care of this child and she is doing drugs at unknown places with unknown people," said Assistant State Attorney Julia Lynch.
Prosecutors presented new evidence before a judge to show that Miller was supposed to be caring for Javeon Mitchell when he died, but instead was getting stoned on crack-cocaine. Prosecutors said she should be kept behind bars.
Prosecutors called on a Titusville police detective who testified the babysitter would never say anything about how the child died.
Police said Miller only remembered the baby making a noise once while she was supposed to be watching after him.
"She couldn't describe the actual noise to me. She couldn't imitate the same noise. But she was able to state that the child made a noise," said Det. Sara Kane-Watson of the Titusville Police Department.
Throughout the bond hearing, Miller's defense attorney objected to almost every question the prosecutor asked. He argued the answers would taint a jury pool before the trial.
"It doesn't need to be in the light until we have the trial," defense attorney Ronnie Sanders-Randall said.
The medical examiner could not determine a cause of death for the 7-month-old boy. The judge noted that was highly unusual, and remarked it's similar to what happens in sudden infant death syndrome.
Still, with the charges facing Miller, the judge set her bond at $175,000, which Miller's attorney said she would not be able to raise and would be the same as giving her no bond.
The boy's mother hasn't spoken about the incident since he was found dead, and she hasn't shown up at any of the court hearings either.
However, the judge refused on the grounds that Carolyn Miller is now facing aggravated manslaughter charges.
Police revealed the baby was wrapped in red tape, and prosecutors said, not only was the babysitter smoking crack-cocaine, she was visiting gambling clubs when she was supposed to be watching the boy.
"She is in care of this child and she is doing drugs at unknown places with unknown people," said Assistant State Attorney Julia Lynch.
Prosecutors presented new evidence before a judge to show that Miller was supposed to be caring for Javeon Mitchell when he died, but instead was getting stoned on crack-cocaine. Prosecutors said she should be kept behind bars.
Prosecutors called on a Titusville police detective who testified the babysitter would never say anything about how the child died.
Police said Miller only remembered the baby making a noise once while she was supposed to be watching after him.
"She couldn't describe the actual noise to me. She couldn't imitate the same noise. But she was able to state that the child made a noise," said Det. Sara Kane-Watson of the Titusville Police Department.
Throughout the bond hearing, Miller's defense attorney objected to almost every question the prosecutor asked. He argued the answers would taint a jury pool before the trial.
"It doesn't need to be in the light until we have the trial," defense attorney Ronnie Sanders-Randall said.
The medical examiner could not determine a cause of death for the 7-month-old boy. The judge noted that was highly unusual, and remarked it's similar to what happens in sudden infant death syndrome.
Still, with the charges facing Miller, the judge set her bond at $175,000, which Miller's attorney said she would not be able to raise and would be the same as giving her no bond.
The boy's mother hasn't spoken about the incident since he was found dead, and she hasn't shown up at any of the court hearings either.
