The texting suicide case, what do you think of the verdict?

[Maria D]

It has been tragically common to have one or two teen suicides each year in my area. In every case that I know details about the teen was on anti-depressants, from which suicidal ideation is a known side-effect for teens. Carter was on varying doses of Celexa and Prozac. Her actions were certainly evil. I just wonder - was she born evil? Nurtured to be evil? Did the drugs play a part? An expert witness at her trial claimed that the drugs impaired her ability to empathize/understand consequences. The judge obviously didn't buy that argument.

 

[JPie]

An expert witness at her trial claimed that the drugs impaired her ability to empathize/understand consequences. The judge obviously didn't buy that argument.

I think the judge made the right call. Even if you can't empathize with someone's suicidal thoughts, it's still a leap to actively encourage it.

I remember reading that she was milking his suicide for attention, which makes me wonder if she has an extreme case of narcissistic personality disorder.

 

[Maria D]

I think the judge made the right call. Even if you can't empathize with someone's suicidal thoughts, it's still a leap to actively encourage it.

I remember reading that she was milking his suicide for attention, which makes me wonder if she has an extreme case of narcissistic personality disorder.

Yes, definitely. It was kind of like munchausen by proxy (where a parent deliberately makes a child ill to gain sympathy).

I don't know enough about personality disorders to have an opinion but I do worry about how easily psychotropic drugs are prescribed to teens. I don't feel enough is known about the side effects when the brain isn't fully developed.

As for the judge's call - I was glad for it but surprised. I thought she was going to get off. What she did (and didn't) do was heinous but seemed to be a gray area legally.

 

[luv2sparkle]

I didn't read all the above replies. I am glad she was found guilty. She purposefully and willfully tried to get him to take his life. She knew what she was doing was wrong when she called her friend and told her she thought she was in big trouble. I felt she wanted the power and 'thrill' of causing someone to take his life. This girl on the one hand seems like pure evil to me, yet she is still so young. It is hard to know why she did this, or if she has any kind of conscience but I don't think you can let someone off with no consequences when the intent was to get him to commit suicide. If she hadn't been so forceful in telling him to commit suicide, it sounds from recordings, like he wouldn't have done it.

 

[rainydaze]

There is a reason there is a helpline to call for people who are in a suicidal space. Just being able to reach out to someone who can offer compassion can make a difference and prevent them from going through with it. So it's not difficult to imagine what the effect of the opposite of that would have, and this girl was exactly that opposite. I think the justice was served.

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

My opinion which holds no more weight than any one else's is that what she did was criminal and she deserves jail. If she was watching someone strangle someone and they stopped and said "I am going to stop, I shouldn't kill this person" and she coached them to complete the murder - she would be guilty of being an accessory to the crime. She coached this man to murder himself after he changed his mind.

 

[partgypsy]

What she did is reprehensible, and she deserves to be an outcast for the rest of her life. I think the verdict will probably be overturned on appeal because the freedom of speech issue will be brought into the case.

Freedom of speech does not apply in all cases. Freedom of speech applies to what the Federal government can do to you. Freedom of speech doesn't give you the right to yell "fire" in a crowded movie theatre.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I’m glad she’ll be put away, even if it isn’t for life. Memo to self: try to have a little more faith in judges.