DA Unhappy Mom Avoids Jail for Attack

HONESDALE – Wayne County’s top law enforcement officer said he’s not happy that a Lake Ariel woman who inflicted multiple stab wounds on her son will avoid jail time.

However, District Attorney Mark Zimmer said he’s bound to follow the law and the facts of a case as they are presented.

On Monday, Janice Taylor was sentenced to a mandatory one year of outpatient treatment, both individually and with the 5-year-old victim. Wayne County President Judge Robert Conway found Mrs. Taylor to be severely mentally disabled and, on the advice of psychiatrist Dr. Robert Sadoff, ordered her to attend treatment.

The boy was stabbed 25 times last July 14. He has recovered from the injuries.

While he’s dissatisfied with the sentence, Mr. Zimmer said the law on insanity defense is clear. The three psychiatrists who evaluated Mrs. Taylor all came to the same conclusion: She was suffering psychotic delusions when she stabbed her son.

Courtesy of Scranton Times Tribune
Written by Christine Pinto