Law Commons^™

Murder By Child Abuse—Who's Responsible After State V. Jackson? , Christine A. Martin

Seattle University Law Review

Currently, under Washington law, a passive parent is not legally responsible for the death of his or her child from abuse. State v. Jackson is a horrific illustration of the gaps in Washington's law regarding the issue of who is responsible for the death of a child by abuse. Because passive parents should be held responsible for the death of their child from abuse, and because Washington's current laws are inadequate, Washington's legislature should create a special statute that would hold both abusive and passive parents culpable for the death of a child resulting from abuse.