People v. Schneff

219 N.W.2d 47, 392 Mich. 15, 1974 Mich. LEXIS 166
CourtMichigan Supreme Court
DecidedJune 25, 1974
Docket3 March Term 1974, Docket No. 54,543
StatusPublished
Cited by25 cases

This text of 219 N.W.2d 47 (People v. Schneff) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Michigan Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Schneff, 219 N.W.2d 47, 392 Mich. 15, 1974 Mich. LEXIS 166 (Mich. 1974).

Opinions

Swainson, J.

On June 18,1971, defendant-appellee Gene Edward Schneff pleaded guilty to a two count information charging cruelty to children, MCLA 750.136; MSA 28.331, arising out of the deaths of his 27-day-old son and daughter. In relevant part the following testimony was taken at the guilty plea hearing:

"The Court: Is it your wish, Mr. Schneff, to plead guilty to both counts, Count I and Count II?
"Mr. Schneff: Yes.
"The Court: Whose idea is it that you plead guilty?
"Mr. Schneff: It is mine.
"The Court: Will you tell us in your own words how you were involved in the matters set forth in these counts so as to make you think you are guilty of the offense?
"Mr. Sullivan (defendant’s counsel): Your Honor, may [18]*18I say something before we get into that, which I think has a direct bearing on this.
"The statute that Mr. Schneff is pleading guilty to reads as follows:
" 'Any parent or guardian or person under whose protection a child may be who cruelly or unlawfully punishes or willfully, unlawfully or negligently deprives the necessary food, clothing, or shelter; or willfully abandons a child under 16 years of age; or who habitually causes or permits the health of said child to be injured, his or her life to be endangered by exposure, want or other injury to his or her person — ’
and the statute goes on to parts that I don’t think are relevant to this case. I think it is Mr. SchnefFs intention to plead guilty to negligently depriving necessary food, clothing or shelter. The statute contains many ors. As I understand it, if someone is guilty of any one of these provisions, he is guilty of the violation of this statute. It is not Mr. SchnefFs intention to plead guilty to cruelly or unlawfully punishing these children. That is what I wish to say before going on.
"Do you agree with what I have said, Mr. Schneff?
"Mr. Schneff: Yes, I do.
"The Court: We have two identical counts except each names a different child.
"Mr. Sullivan: True.
"The Court: So there are two felony charges here.
"All right, will you tell us, Mr. Schneff, how you were involved in the matters which the Information set forth so as to make you believe you are guilty? Let’s take Count I first.
"Mr. Schneff: Well, your Honor, of course I am the father of these children.
"The Court: Which children are these?
"Mr. Schneff: Timothy and Kimberly.
"The Court: All right.
"Mr. Schneff: It was my responsibility to see that they were properly, you know, taken to a doctor if something was wrong, which I failed to do when they appeared sick and this, my wife asked me to take them to a doctor. I did give some try, but not really what I [19]*19probably could have done. I allowed card parties — that was my idea, which I was warned against.
"The Court: Let’s go back. Were these children both residing with you?
"Mr. Schneff: Yes, they were.
"The Court: The Information alleges from about December 10th to and including December 18th, 1970. Is that about the correct time?
"Mr. Schneff: Yes, it is.
"The Court: What was it that happened during that time?
"Mr. Schneff: Well, like I said, I invited card parties which extended to hours of the night, about 11:00 or 12:00, and kept the kids awake.
"The Court: Kept the children awake. All right.
"Mr. Schneff: Which would endanger their health. It was noisy. I, also, two days prior to the time, one of them came down sick which apparently I didn’t take too seriously—
"The Court: (interposing) This was two days before this period started? Would this be around December 8th, 1970?
"Mr. Schneff: I am talking about 2 days prior to the 18th, which I should have had them taken to the doctor, which I didn’t give sufficient try of getting them there.
"The Court: This was Timothy?
"Mr. Schneff: Yes.
"The Court: The other child, also?
"Mr. Schneff: Yes, it was.
"The Court: Both of them were sick?
"Mr. Schneff: Well, Tim was sick and Tim didn’t appear sick.
"The Court: Was he actually sick?
"Mr. Schneff: Yes, he was.
"The Court: All right.
"Mr. Schneff: And I didn’t get him there, so I feel that I am guilty of this.
"The Court: What happened?
[20]*20"Mr. Schneff: On the night of the 18th I woke up in the morning — I was woken up by one of the case workers for the Social Service and I remembered — I didn’t recall it until she got me up and we talked for a few minutes, about 2 or 3 minutes, and I recalled that the babies didn’t cry all night and it worried me and when I went in I found them deceased.
"The Court: Found them what?
"Mr. Schneff: Dead.
"The Court: Both of them?
"Mr. Schneff: Yes.
"The Court: What did they die of?
"Mr. Schneff: Afterwards I found out it was pneumonia.
"The Court: And they had pneumonia for a period of time?
"Mr. Schneff: Not that I know of. I just knew one wasn’t eating and was vomiting 2 days prior to the time.
"The Court: And what happened?
"Mr. Schneff: And I called — the woman ran up and called the police and ambulance and they came over and took pictures and then I was brought into court.
"The Court: You were present at the preliminary examination of this case?
"Mr. Schneff: Yes.
"The Court: In District Court?
"Mr. Schneff: Yes.
"The Court: Did you hear the testimony taken there?
"Mr.

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Bluebook (online)
219 N.W.2d 47, 392 Mich. 15, 1974 Mich. LEXIS 166, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-schneff-mich-1974.