Georgia Mother Arrested on Charges of Second Degree Child Cruelty and Second Degree Murder

Disturbing reports out of Rabun County report that mother, Jacklyn Frady, is facing charges of second degree child cruelty and second degree murder.

Frad allegedly left her 18-month-old child unsupervised in a pool. The child was found unresponsive. There are not many details of the investigation that have been released. It is currently unclear as to who called police or just how long the child had been left alone in the pool. The child was pronounced dead at a local hospital, and the initial autopsy revealed that the child died from drowning.

As a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer, I will outline the laws behind second degree cruelty to children and second degree murder in today's post.

Second Degree Cruelty to Children and Second Degree Murder in Georgia

Second Degree Cruelty to Children in Georgia is defined in O.C.G.A. §16-5-70(c) as:

Second-degree cruelty to children occurs when a person with criminal negligence causes a child less than 18 years old cruel or excessive physical or mental pain.

Second-degree cruelty to children is a felony offense and comes with the consequences of a prison term between one and ten years.

Second degree murder in Georgia is defined in O.C.G.A. §16-5-1 as

A person commits the offense of murder in the second degree when, in the commission of cruelty to children in the second degree, he or she causes the death of another human being irrespective of malice.

Second degree murder is also classified as a felony offense. The penalty for murder in the second degree will be a prison term for a period of ten to thirty years.

Practice Note

Every state has a code or statute that defines and describes every act that is classified as a criminal offense. In Georgia, these definitions are contained in the Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.), which as a Georgia Criminal Defense Attorney, I cite to in every post so as to accurately show what the law is in Georgia.

There are crimes that are universal no matter what state you are in or sometimes what country you are in. However, there are some crimes that may not be considered a crime in other states. It does not matter if you live in Georgia or are merely a visitor, while in Georgia, you must abide by Georgia laws. 

If you or a loved one has been arrested, contact our offices now.