State v. Petithory

STREIT, Justice.

Parents can commit a crime by exposing their children to danger — even if the par ents themselves pose the danger. In this case, a baby girl lost her life because of her father’s meth abuse; coming down from a high, he fell asleep while she sat in a running bathtub. The father, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment, neglect of a dependent person, possession of a controlled substance, and domestic assault causing bodily injury, appeals his convictions. He claims his trial counsel was ineffective and the district court should have merged some of his…