A Cry for Justice: The Sentence of a Child Murderer

We the undersigned respectfully request that the Supreme Court of the State of New York - Appellate Division, Fourth Judicial Department grant the Office of the District Attorney of Monroe County, New York an opportunity to argue the point related to severity of sentence which the court considered and reduced by 10 years based upon an appeal that was written and filed by Defendant-Appellant, Renee Susan Bailey.

Renee Susan Bailey, a trained and licensed day care provider was convicted, upon a jury verdict, of murder in the second degree for violently shaking two-year-old Brittney Alexis Sheets to death on June 6, 2001. Medical testimony during the trial revealed that a horrific level of violence was necessary to inflict the injuries that Brittney Sheets sustained. Brittney suffered hemorrhaging in both sides of her brain and retinas of both eyes. Additionally she had trauma and more hemorrhaging up and down her spinal cord. The swelling of Brittneys brain became uncontrollable cutting off brain stem activity resulting in brain death. Further testimony during the trial revealed that Baileys actions included the denial of emergency medical attention for Brittney even though she (Bailey) was trained and aware of the consequences that can result from shaking infants and children and the need for immediate medical attention. Bailey continually lied to authorities, denied her guilt, and never once expressed remorse for her actions. A Monroe County Court Judge subsequently sentenced Bailey to an indeterminate term of incarceration of 25 years to life.

On June 14, 2004 the Supreme Court of the State of New York Appellate Division, Fourth Department reviewed contentions in an appeal filed by a public defender for the defendant and contentions in a supplemental appeal (written and submitted by the defendant) and concluded that there was no basis to overturn the conviction of murder in the second degree. However, in reviewing the supplemental appeal, Renee Bailey challenged the severity of her sentence. For reasons unknown, the court ordered that the judgment be unanimously modified as a matter of discretion in the interest of justice by reducing the sentence to an indeterminate term of incarceration of 15 years to life.

Due to the level of violence that was inflicted upon an innocent child and the callous actions of Renee Bailey, who displayed a depraved indifference to human life, we request that the court allow the Appeals Division of the Monroe County Office of the District Attorney to argue the severity of sentence point. The possibility that Renee Bailey poses a real threat to children, should she be paroled after 15 years, is a reality that cant be ignored.