HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) – A Henrico County mother was arraigned Thursday morning, in connection with the death of her infant son.
It took less than five minutes for Henrico County Judge Brice Lambert to charge Jasmin Shaquay Lambert, 21, for felony child neglect. Norman appeared in court via video conferencing from jail, where she is being held without bond.
On February 9, 2012, emergency officials were called to Norman's Oakmeade Apartment. When they arrived, they reported Norman's two month old son, Jermiah was unresponsive.
The young child was rushed to VCU Medical Center. Soon after arriving at the hospital the infant was pronounced dead.
A medical examiner ruled the preliminary cause of death as asphyxiation. The Commonwealth's Attorney said the final autopsy is still pending.
Norman reportedly told police she was in her kitchen, when she heard a noise in the living and discovered her infant with a bag over his head and her 18 month old son standing close by.
CBS 6 Legal Analyst Todd Stone said Norman's alleged neglect, is what led to the felony charge.
"The law punishes people for intentional acts and negligent acts, and parents have a duty of care for their children," said Stone. "So this is the type of thing the law is going to require she keep an eye on her kids, and keep an eye on a situation that could result in something so tragic like this. So that’s why she’s being charged with it."
During Thursday's arraignment, the judge denied Norman bond and he appointed attorney Craig Cooley to represent her. Norman has a preliminary hearing set for May 14, 2012, at 2:00 p.m., but her lawyer could request a bond hearing before the scheduled trial.
The Commonwealth's Attorney said once the ongoing investigation into Jermiah's death is complete, Norman could face additional charges. The prosecution said the alleged offenses in question, date back to November 2011.
If Norman were found guilty of the felony offense, she faces up to 10 years in prison.
