State v. Beagley

Defendants were convicted of criminally negligent homicide, ORS 163.145, after their 16-year-old son died from an extended illness during which defendants, in accord with their religious beliefs, did not provide any conventional forms of medical care. The jury found that defendants failed to be aware of a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the child would die and that the failure was “a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would observe in the situation.” ORS 161.085(10) (defining criminal negligence). On appeal, defendants argue that, for several reasons,…