Friday 11 January 2013

SBS: Illinois: Garland Jackson faces felony charges in shaken baby case

January 3, 2013

BY BRIAN L. HUCHEL 

Commercial-News
DANVILLE — A local man faces charges he shook and injured an infant child on Christmas Day.

The Vermilion County State’s Attorney’s Office filed charges Thursday against Garland Jackson, 26, of the 400 block of North Beard Street.

Jackson is charged with two felony counts of aggravated battery of a child under the age of 13 years. One count contends the incident possibly caused permanent disability, making it a Class X felony punishable by up to 30 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections.

The second charge is a Class 3 felony contending the battery caused great bodily harm. That charge is punishable by up to a maximum of five years in state prison.

Vermilion County State’s Attorney Randy Brinegar said the case came to light after the child’s mother, Tarkisha Stanciel, became concerned with the behavior of her 4-week-old boy. The child was unable to follow her movements with his eyes and she noticed some slight trembling in the infant’s extremities.

The infant was taken to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana by ambulance where Brinegar said he remains for treatment.

Brinegar said there are indications at this point that the injuries suffered by the child “were consistent with being shaken.” Jackson is the father of the child.

Brinegar could not release other details regarding the case on Thursday, including how likely it is the child will suffer permanent disability as a result of the injuries.

“Only time will tell,” he said.

Jackson made his first appearance in Vermilion County Circuit Court on Thursday via video broadcast from the Public Safety Building jail. His bond was set at $100,000.

A preliminary hearing for Jackson was set for Jan. 17.

This is the third case in the last decade involving a shaken baby in Vermilion County.

Most recently, Ryan Allhands, 22, was sentenced in December 2009 to seven years in state prison in connection with the July 2006 death of 2-year-old Reagan Williams. Allhands was watching Reagan on July 2, 2006 — the day she died. Examinations later determined the injuries to be consistent with Shaken Baby Syndrome.

He entered a guilty plea to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter, a Class 2 felony, as part of an agreement with the state’s attorney’s office.

Andrew Drollinger, 23, was sentenced in December 2005 to a little more than eight years in state prison for the death of his ex-girlfriend’s daughter, 10-month-old Macey Duewer. During the trial, Drollinger admitting to shaking the little girl.

Aside from Thursday’s felony charges, Jackson has no prior convictions in Vermilion County. He was the defendant in a family case filed by Stanciel in 2011 in which the court determined him to be the father of one of Stanciel’s children.

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