Criminal,
California Supreme Court
Jan. 7, 2025
State Supreme Court overturns mother's murder conviction in infant's death
A split California Supreme Court overturned a mother's second-degree murder conviction, finding there was no evidence she directly aided or abetted her boyfriend in bludgeoning their 2-month-old son to death.
The state Supreme Court, in a divided opinion on Monday, vacated the second-degree murder conviction of a woman whose male partner killed their 2-month-old son in Kern County.
Justice Kelli M. Evans, writing for the majority, said it was "a close call" but the evidence was insufficient that Brittney Collins "harbored the requisite mens rea to convict her of second-degree murder under either a direct aider and abettor theory or a direct perpetrator theory."
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