The judge blinked hard, brow furrowed, for what seemed like a very long time. He rubbed his chin, looked at the prosecutor, and said she had dropped a “little hydrogen bomb.”
The prosecutor stunned the Riverside County courtroom on Friday, Sept. 1 by asking the judge to dismiss involuntary manslaughter and child cruelty charges against Michelle Morris-Kerin, the former foster mother to the severely disabled.
Morris-Kerin faces nearly a dozen felonies, including “willfully, unlawfully, and lewdly” committing lascivious acts upon adult dependents “with the intent of arousing, appealing to, and gratifying … lust, passions, and sexual desires,” according to the indictment.
Deputy District Attorney Maureen DuMouchel requested the dismissal of two counts because prosecutors are gathering more evidence against Morris-Kerin and expect to refile charges. The judge asked if they intended to refile charges that previously had been dismissed, and DuMouchel said yes.
Morris-Kerin originally faced second-degree murder for the death of foster child Diane Princess Ramirez, who spent an agonizing night in Morris-Kerin’s home, moaning and vomiting blood. Despite specific instructions to get the girl to the emergency room if that happened, Morris-Kerin refused to call 911 for some seven hours while Ramirez’s vital signs fluctuated and her skin grew cold to the touch. Morris-Kerin insisted the girl would be fine, according to a state report.
Ramirez had cerebral palsy, seizure disorder and other challenges, as well as an indomitable spirit and mischievous sense of humor. She’d place fake spiders in her locker to scare the teachers who helped her open it, was a junior assessed at grade level at Murrieta Mesa High School, saw her “prom-posal” to quarterback Jeff Miller make the TV news. She was 17 when she died on April 6, 2019, of “volvulus,” a twisted intestine that cut off blood supply to her bowels.
Riverside Superior Court Judge Timothy F….
Read the full article here
