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JUSTICE DELAYED IS
JUSTICE DENIED!
IT SEEMED A TRIAL WAS FINALLY GOING TO HAPPEN AFTER MORE THAN 4 1/2 YEARS IN JAIL AND COUNTLEES DELAYS IN HER TRIAL.
A JURY HAD BEEN PICKED AND THE TRIAL WOULD BEGIN IN 3 DAYS. OPENING STATEMENTS WERE TO BE GIVEN IN THE MORNING., BUT
A LATE EVENING CALL CHANGED EVERYTHING. THE PROSECUTOR CALLED SHONTELLE'S ATTORNEY, RICHARD CONVERTINO, AND TOLD HIM
THAT A TAPE OF SHONTELLE'S POLICE INTERVIEW WAS SUDDENLY FOUND. CONVERTINO HAD NEVER EVEN BEEN TOLD THAT THERE WAS A
TAPE.
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." -Martin Luther King, Jr.
| SHONTELLE WITH HER DAUGHTER SIMONE |
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The Law Firm of Convertino & Associates is highly
dedicated to obtaining justice for Shontelle Cavanaugh and has taken on her case pro bono. The U.S. Constitution guarantees
the right to an attorney, but not the attorney of your choice. Shontelle wants Richard Convertino to represent her because
she knows that no other attorney will fight as hard for her acquittal. Shontelle's
mother must pay the county for Shontelle's incarceration and expenses. If you would like to contribute to Shontelle's
defense fund you may send your checks to Convertino and Associates, 801 W. Ann Arbor Trail #
233 Plymouth, MI 48170
SHONTELLE'S STORY
Shontelle Cavanaugh developed postpartum psychosis when her baby Simone
was 2 months old.
She was treated for postpartum depression
but the psychosis went undiagnosed and became progressively worse.
On
June 6, 2005, when Simone was 9 months old, Shontelle Cavanaugh was found sitting on her bedroom floor in a catatonic
state, holding her dead baby girl in her arms.
POSTPARTUM PSYCHOSIS is a psychiatric emergency which is difficult
to diagnose.
It is also
hard to predict who is at risk.
Some sources say that 25% of all women with
bipolar disorder have their first onset after pregnancy.
While for some
women, the psychosis is temporary, Shontelle continues to need medication for bipolar disorder.
A
TRAGEDY FOR ALL INVOLVED...
Untreated
postpartum psychosis often results in a woman either taking her own life, her child's life, or both. The effects
are tragic for family members and all those who love them.
THE TRAGEDY CONTINUES....
Psychiatrists
who examined Shontelle right after Simone's death found her to be mentally ill, but she was still charged with
premeditated murder. Instead of being treated at a hospital, Shontelle has been labeled as a violent criminal and has
been in jail since 2005 without a trial.
PROBLEMS WITH OUR LEGAL SYSTEM...
By the
time legal cases involving postpartum psychosis go to trial, either the psychosis has resolved or the woman has
successfully been treated with medication. Since there are no laws addressing this particular mental illness as it relates
to criminal liability, women are at the mercy of their prosecutor's biases.
THE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE CONTINUES AND SHONTELLE AND HER FAMILY NEED YOUR HELP!
| Simone Cavanaugh at 8 months old |
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