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Parents sentenced in injured baby case Date published: 7/28/2009
BY KEITH EPPS Brandi L. Blanken Wallace has obviously made a good impression on her children's fathers. But she didn't make enough of an impression on Stafford Circuit Court Judge Charles Sharp to get him to reduce the 71/2-year prison sentence a jury recommended in May after convicting her of child abuse and unlawful wounding. Defense attorney Vanessa Jordan lobbied heavily for Sharp to suspend most or all of the time Wallace was facing. Among the witnesses she called were the fathers of Wallace's daughters, including the parent of one who just turned 3 months old. Both described her as a great mother who would never intentionally hurt one of her kids. But Sharp upheld the jury decision, saying he was not "going to gamble with the lives of children." Wallace and her husband, Joshua Scott Wallace, 33, were both convicted as the result of crippling injuries suffered by their son, also named Joshua Wallace, in late 2005. The child was 10 weeks old when he was flown to VCU Medical Center on Dec. 30, 2005. His injuries included skull fractures, a broken clavicle and severe retinal hemorrhaging, according to evidence presented by prosecutor Eric Olsen. The child nearly died and has permanent brain damage. Brandi Wallace has claimed throughout that she accidentally dropped the child when she suffered an epileptic seizure. She testified yesterday that "for three years I have suffered and watched my son suffer from something I caused and couldn't control." A neurosurgeon put on by Jordan at trial supported Wallace's explanation, saying the baby had an undiagnosed birth injury that contributed to the damage. But two doctors called by Olsen testified that the extensive injuries suffered by the child could not have occurred during such a short fall. Olsen attacked the claim again yesterday, telling Wallace, "you've been lying to everybody since this happened. Don't you think it's time to tell the truth?" The jury recommended 21/2 years in prison for Joshua Wallace after convicting him of child abuse. Sharp gave him that sentence yesterday, but suspended 17 months that Wallace had already served while awaiting trial. Keith Epps: 540/374-5404
anything in this article that isn't true? You are accusing the reporter of printing lies which is a fairly serious claim to make. If that is true there could be a pretty good case for libel. On the other hand if what was printed is the truth, that is the best defense against a libel case. To say she was convicted in court by a jury would only be libelous if she weren't actually convicted.
The only person who knows the complete truth about what happened is the mother. Do you think the reporter is just making stuff up. He's getting his info from somewhere. I have a hard time believing the retinal injury and the extent of the other injuries happened from a fall as stated. Apparently the jury did as well. On the other hand, Juries can be wrong too, just look back at last week when a murderer walked out of a Caroline County court house scott free.
I just have one more thing to say about Mr. Epps, now keep an open mind, If you knew you did nothing wrong and the reporters printed in the paper that you did, would you not be upset. The problem here, is this case has been going on for 3 1/2 years, he has printed what he wants, everyone has read what he printed lies and all and believes it, thats where I have a problem. The question here is are we that nieve that we believe everything we read in "The Free Lance Star"? I think not!!
Mr. Epps did not arrest the mother, he did not sit in the jury box, he did not convict her and he was not the judge who refused to reduce the sentence. His abilities as a reporter had nothing to do with the situation the mother now finds herself in. And you know it.
The mother has had epilepsy since the age of 7, you would not have read anything about it in this paper..Mr. Epps is on his best days a bad reporter. Most of the time he was never in the court room and only got his information from Mr. Olsen. He never once contacted the family for interviews.
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