Foster mom pleads guilty
Faces up to 10 years in death of Tiffany Sue BanksBy JOE GORMAN Tribune Chronicle
WARREN - The foster parent of a 21-month-old child who died in her care earlier this year pleaded guilty Thursday to a reduced charge of involuntary manslaughter.
Bonnie Pattinson, 31, of Newton Falls, was first charged with murder in the April death of Tiffany Sue Banks. She entered her plea Thursday before Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge John Stuard.
She will be sentenced after a presentence investigation is completed. She faces up to 10 years in prison.
Assistant Prosecutor Diane Barber said murder would have been tough to prove had it gone to trial.
''I couldn't prove she intended to cause the death of Tiffany Sue Banks,'' Barber said.
Pattinson's lawyer, Anthony Consoldane, said his client decided to take the plea because she thought it was fair.
''I never thought it was a murder case to begin with,'' Consoldane said. ''She (Pattinson) was satisfied with (the plea) so I went along with it. I thought it was fair.''
Banks' grandmother, Loretta Banks, and uncle Herbert Putnam both said they were outraged with the plea deal, saying that the prosecutors office never consulted with them about making a plea.
Loretta Banks said the maximum sentence of 10 years is not nearly enough to pay for the life of her granddaughter.
''There's no way they can't prove murder?'' Banks said. ''There was only one person in the house with her getting beaten and suffocated.''
Putnam said he would rather the case went to trial even if the evidence is thin.
''I'd rather see her either go completely out or completely in,'' Putnam said.
Pattinson was indicted in September by a Trumbull County grand jury on charges of murder and felonious assault in Banks' death.
On April 2, Pattinson reported finding Tiffany not breathing after checking on her while the girl was napping at their 663 Center St. W. duplex in Champion. Pattinson and her husband, William, since have moved to Newton Falls.
Pattinson ran next door, a neighbor performed CPR and police were called, according to police reports.
Officer said the toddler was unresponsive and blue with marks on her body. The marks were not caused by medical treatment and intervention during the call, police reports state.
Banks died as a result of asphyxiation associated with multiple blunt traumatic injuries, according to her death certificate.
The county Children Services Board had taken custody of Tiffany, who would have been 2 June 27, at birth, declaring her mother, Felicia, unfit. Felicia Banks, Loretta Banks, and Tiffany's father, Tommy Cross, visited the baby weekly until Felicia formally lost custody in November.
They previously said she always seemed healthy. But they were concerned at Banks' funeral when they saw bruises and marks on her body.
The baby's death was ruled a homicide in late July.
In court, Barber told Stuard that there was evidence that marks on the baby's neck matched rings that Pattinson was wearing at the time Banks was killed.
Marcia Tiger of the county Children Services Board was in court for the plea. She said she is glad the case is nearing a conclusion but that no resolution can change the fact that Banks is dead.
''No verdict or plea will bring back a 2-year-old girl that was killed,'' Tiger said.
Consoldane had asked Stuard to reduce Pattinson's bond while awaiting sentencing, but Barber objected, saying that bond is not appropriate because a child was killed. Stuard denied Consoldane's request for the reduced bond.
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Lotterydreamer
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11-10-09 2:36 AM
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I've sent two letters on behalf of poor little Tiffany Sue Banks in an effort to make a difference as to how citizens and the court system views the death of a minor person. Drug offenses get more time than killing a kid.The Trib is very nervous about printing anything about this case right now,(for some reason).
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mamasita
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11-08-09 10:36 PM
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"I couldn't prove she intended to cause the death of Tiffany Sue Banks,' Barber said." How about this for intent. A 200 lb woman beating up on a 25 or 35 lb little girl.
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smokey
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11-01-09 2:31 PM
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Banks died as a result of asphyxiation associated with multiple blunt traumatic injuries, according to her death certificate. I'm sorry but how does that not make it a murder case asphyxiation and blunt force trama what did she think would happen to the lil girl she would get up and walk away with a smile on her face. I have to agree justice was not done in this case! the foster parent should have got life, no matter what the real parents,grandparents,csb or anyone else had to do with it, this was a CHILD!! whom had no protection from anyone,child rapist get more time!!!
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PathologicallyHighStrung
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10-31-09 2:28 PM
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Suecless You don't know how badly I wish you were right. I wish I could live in a dream world, because in my dream world none of us would have to have this conversation.
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PathologicallyHighStrung
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10-31-09 2:24 PM
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Lottery, thank you for seeing that I am not anti-child or pro-anyone that would hurt any child. I appreciate that we have had exchanges from different viewpoints in a fairly civil manner. What am I missing? What am I not understanding/reading correctly? I really do wish to understand if I am missing something that is clear to you. I agree that she plead guilty, she should be punished, will it ever be enough? I don't know. Nothing will bring that little girl back. All I have been trying to point out (maybe not very well) is that there may have been some kind of accident that we do not know about. I cannot explain any marks from rings, and I have a hard time imagining what could have happened. I just want to hear the whole story from both sides before I send someone to get the needle. This could have been some kind of freak accident, no-one but Bonnie P. knows. Why is she not telling her story? My guess (YES guess) is that her lawyer has told her not to.
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Lotterydreamer
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10-31-09 3:47 AM
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?
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Lotterydreamer
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10-31-09 3:21 AM
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And to Jodi-you're right. What does qualify them as the experts? Most have been placed by family and friends into their job and some actually took some classes to qualify. Maybe the state has a mandate,but ,believe it or not,the state is people who take orders from other people who take orders from other people who pay A lot of money for these privileges. Have you ever seen the "Godfather".
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Lotterydreamer
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10-31-09 2:47 AM
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Path- You have no idea what you are talking about! Reread and figure it out.Society needs people who are better readers than you, but your heart seems to be in the right place.
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Lotterydreamer
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10-31-09 2:39 AM
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Suzann,what do you mean by you could have saved her life?
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Suzann
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10-31-09 2:34 AM
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AGAIN, SWEET ANGEL, AND I AM SORRY THAT I COULD OF SAVED YOUR LIFE FROM SUCH CRUELITY...BLESS YOU MY CHILD
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suecless
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10-31-09 1:11 AM
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High strung-you are living in a dream world and I have read the exact story as you and it will be printed in the "Letters to the Editor" section of the newspaper shortly. I sent it off today from the same article we ALL read.
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PathologicallyHighStrung
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10-31-09 12:33 AM
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Anniemae I am not asking to read the article over and over, once is enough if you can comprehend (that means understand)what you read the first time. You are right though nothing will bring that child back. The point still stands that there is no evidence that Bonnie P. was trying to kill her. That is what the difference is. Maybe she plead guilty to avoid a trial, many people seem to want to hang her, stone her, or give her the needle and she never even had a trial. I wonder if her family told her some of the stuff being said around the area, maybe she understood that these are the people in her jury pool. I wouldn't want many of you on a jury for anyone. How am I being small minded by reading facts as they are presented, and not just jump on the popular "just kill her" band wagon. Mine are objective posts not based on emotional outbursts. I present an intelligent (I think so anyway) viewpoint, just from a different angle. The inability to see that is what is small minded.
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jodi732
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10-31-09 12:16 AM
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everyone wants to string the foster mother up which is a good start but let's remember why she had that little girl in the first place .she did not go to csb and put a gun to them .they gave her the child.as if they should be judging anyone.
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jodi732
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10-31-09 12:09 AM
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anyone that has ever had to deal with those witches knows exactly what I am talking about.If you never have than you don't know.
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jodi732
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10-31-09 12:07 AM
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they called it domestic even though there were no charges nor arrests.
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jodi732
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10-31-09 12:06 AM
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to Sue unless you have seen the paperwork and everything else like we have do not say anything to me about it.we have the proof so keep defending them. you are probably one of them.
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jodi732
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10-31-09 12:03 AM
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I guess Marcia Tiger of csb would be happy that the case is nearing a conclusion that way it takes some of the heat off of her worthless caseworkers and guardian ad litems.If they had done the homework as they like to claim they do that little girl would not have been placed there in the first place.they take children off of some parents that they shouldn't and give kids to parents who should not be allowed to have pets let alone children.I do not know how they can sleep at night or look into a mirror.most of the people from csb themselves I would not want to have a pet rock let alone make the choices they do for the children of Trumbull.
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Sassysue
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10-31-09 12:03 AM
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Jodi...CSB is worthless but they don't take kids because the father got in an argument with his girlfriend. You try to make the story good but it is severely lacking.
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jodi732
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10-30-09 11:54 PM
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THEY TWIST THE TRUTH ANY WAY POSSIBLE.MY BROTHER'S DRUG TEST DONE ALL THROUGH CSB HAD COME BACK NEGATIVE YET ANGELA BARTLETT THE WORTHLESS CSB WORKER PUT IN PAPERWORK THAT HE HAD A REPORTED SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEM.THE REPORTS WERE FROM HER FRIEND MY BROTHER'S EX WIFE,NIKKI ADONETTO MERCER.THEY ARE BIASED,AND THEY PICK AND CHOOSE WHAT TO INVESTIGATE.THE KIDS WERE COVERED IN BRUISES AND THAT WAS REPORTED AND ALL THEY COULD SAY WAS WE INVESTIGATED THAT.YEA RIGHT JUST LIKE THEY INVESTIGATED STUFF ON POOR LITTLE TIFFANY.WITH THE NEXT LEVY WE NEED TO VOTE NO.IF TRUMBULL CSB IS ALL THERE IS FOR THE CHILDREN OF TRUMBULL THAN HOW LONG BEFORE THE NEXT CHILD PAYS FOR THEIR INCOMPETENT CRAP???THEY ARE OVER PAID TO DO NOTHING.
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jodi732
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10-30-09 11:43 PM
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tIFFANY'S FATHER TRIED TO GET HER BACK BUT THOSE WORTHLESS CSB WORKERS MADE SURE THAT DID NOT HAPPEN.I KNOW FOR FACT THEY DO NOT CHECK THINGS OUT THE WAY THEY CLAIM TO.THE CSB CASEWORKERS THE GAL AND EVERYONE ELSE INVOLVED IN THIS CASE SHOULD BE IN JAIL RIGHT WITH HER.MY NIECES AND NEPHEW ARE NOW WITH A PEDOPHILE AND A DRUNK THANKS TO CSB.IF THEY COULD NOT JUDGE A FOSTER PARENT WHAT IN THE*****MAKES THEM THINK THEY CAN JUDGE A BIO PARENT??THEY CAN'T.THE WORTHLESS CASEWORKER ON MY BROTHER'S CASE HAS ALREADY BEEN TOLD LET SOMETHING HAPPEN TO ONE OF THE KIDS AND THEY WILL SEE A LAWSUIT UP CLOSE AND PERSONEL.tHEY TOOK THE KIDS OFF OF MY BROTHER BECAUSE HE WAS ARGUING WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND AND GAVE THEM TO HIS EX WIFE WHOM HAD ABANDONED THEM FOR 2 YEARS.MY NIECE WAS MOLESTED PRIOR TO THAT WHILE IN THE CARE OF HIS EX WIFE.YET SHE IS SUITABLE TO HAVE THE KIDS IN THE EYES OF CSB.THE STATE NEEDS TO CLEAN HOUSE ON TRUMBULL CSB.A FEW OF THEM NEED TO BE DRUG TESTED AS WELL.THEY LIE ,COVER THINGS U
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anniemae
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10-30-09 11:05 PM
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You can read this article over & over (as requested by some small minds)but the end result is still the same.....the baby is gone & the B---- pleaded guilty. What more will be derived from reading this sickening article again? She knew what she was doing to that little child & I wish someone would do the same to her. Pleading is a cop-out!!!! It sets a bad example throughout the "criminal's world".
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PathologicallyHighStrung
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10-30-09 10:56 PM
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Lotterydreamer, I am very sorry to hear about the loss of your son. I cannot imagine the pain you have been through. However, what are "people like me" like exactly? How am I not taking this case seriously? Is it because I refuse to jump to conclusions, refuse to interpret facts to fit my own agenda, and instead try to take a intelligent, objective look at the facts that have been presented to me thus far?
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PathologicallyHighStrung
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10-30-09 10:39 PM
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Mammie, I did not say that there was not enough evidence to convict her of murder, the prosecutor did. She is the one who said she could not prove that Bonnie P. intended to kill her. All I have done today is point out the facts that are known about this case so far. Yea this is a terrible thing that has happened but, I just hope that people use their minds to absorb the facts. Think, don't just randomly react out of anger, fear, or frustration. That is what gets children hurt, people and parents who do not think before they speak or act. The advanced version of your class is now dismissed.
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princeoftheinternet
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10-30-09 7:21 PM
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babyboy I am amazed that the family will not take this child in, then is outraged about the sentance. They evedently cared so much they could not be burdened by a child in their life.
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princeoftheinternet
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10-30-09 7:18 PM
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As someone who works close with many kids in this area I hope this case dosen't put a bad mark on all the foster parents in our area. I have met many wonderful foster parents in this county. Yes some are bad, but most are great people. Most kids in the system are lucky to have them.
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