Mom who admitted to smothering toddler while high on meth walks free thanks to controversial judge

Article here. Excerpt:

'An Indianapolis mother who admitted to fatally smothering her baby while high on meth became overwhelmed and hid her face in her hands when a controversial judge allowed her to walk free.

Dacia Lacey, 32, was found not guilty of neglect of a dependent resulting in the 2022 death of her daughter, Alona, by Judge Mark Stoner, who is already facing calls to resign after giving a mentally ill man who fatally shot a police officer a sentence of time served, WTHR reported.

The mom was cleared even though the judge told her it was “a case that happens when you’re a bad parent. “

“There are some things you can never do. You can never have sole possession of your children and go out and use drugs,” Stoner said.

“You’re not innocent, but you’re not guilty of what the state has charged you with.”

Lacey — who faced up to 40 years in prison if convicted — dropped her head as Stoner told her that he found her not guilty in the bench trial. The mom, wearing a bright yellow prison suit, pursed her lips and squeezed her eyes shut as if to stop tears before she placed her head in her hands.
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Court records show that Lacey gave police a lengthy confession, detailing through tears how she smothered her daughter because she was high on meth and wanted her to stop crying so she could get some sleep.'