Mom Wrist-Slapped For Botched Box-Cutter Briss
There's such thing as being too hands-on a parent. Take for instance Oregon mom Keemonta Peterson, whose box-cutter-assisted, do-it-yourself circumcision of her 3-month-old son resulted in a sentence of five years probation and psychological evaluation.
Peterson, 30, was arrested in April after a lengthy investigation into the incident, which occurred in October 2010. Inspired by the Old Testament, Peterson decided she wanted her infant son to be circumcised. (Good thing she didn't read as far as the chapter about Abraham and Isaac.) Thinking he was too old at that point to be circumcised by doctors, she decided to "do it herself, after watching YouTube videos." It didn't go well — the boy was bleeding uncontrollably and "in great pain," The Oregonian reports — and the mother called 911.
The good news is that doctors salvaged the procedure and the son is fully recovered. Better news: He, along with his three siblings, are in the state's care, but Peterson is allowed to see them under supervision. She served 28 days after her arrest, and Multnomah County Circuit Judge Eric Bergstrom decided there would be no benefit in sentencing Peterson to further jail time.
Despite the "sensational-sounding facts," said Bergstrom, "the reality is you love your children and had absolutely no intent to harm your child."
Foreskin huggers: You have your new poster girl. [Oregon Live, mugshot via MCSO]