FOND, DU LAC, WI (WTAQ-KFIZ) – 25-year- old Fond du Lac woman who lost one baby boy and saw another severely injured through child abuse has entered an Alford plea to a charge of neglecting a child with a consequence of death.
The plea means Airrealle (ARIEL) Smart doesn’t admit guilt, but the Fond du Lac County Court finds her guilty of the charge.
Thirty-year- old Daniel Griffin of Bellwood, Illinois was sentenced in January to 65 years in prison for killing one of Smart’s 14-month- old twin boys in July of 2015 by stepping on him and causing severe injuries to the other twin through a similar act.
District Attorney Eric Toney says Smart was charged because she saw what happened, but didn’t stop it.
“The allegations are that she observed Mr. Griffin put his foot on one of her children’s chest and stepped down….and that she says that”
Toney says during Griffin’s trial a child abuse expert testified that the children were victims of previous child abuse, which Smart also likely knew about.
“The state”s position was Miss Smart should have been aware of that given what she knew of the children’s injuries and where they came from. And Mr. Griffin’s responsibility for other acts prior to the death of one of her children”
A pre-sentence investigation was ordered.
The maximum penalty for the charge is 15 years in prison and 10 years of extended supervision.
Three other charges against Smart were read into the record and dismissed.
