• Font Size    
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Trial Begins For Midwife Accused In Baby's Death

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +   
Sep 22, 2008 6:30 pm US/Eastern

Trial Begins For Midwife Accused In Baby's Death

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― The prosecution began its case today in the trial for a midwife from Butler County who's accused in the death of a newborn baby.

Judith Wilson is on trial facing charges including involuntary manslaughter, endangering the welfare of a child and practicing midwifery without a Pennsylvania license in the 2002 death of Isaac Daley.

Heather Daley retained Wilson to deliver her baby in her Bloomfield home; but her newborn died just days after his breech birth.

"Once she knew the baby was breech presentation footlength, she should have sent the mother to the hospital," pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu said during Wilson's preliminary hearing.

Today Heather Daley took the stand, telling the court that the midwife asked her if she wanted to go to the hospital when she knew that the baby was emerging foot-first and she said she did not. "I wanted to have this baby at home," Daley testified.

The delivery continued with difficulty, she continued. "I know she had an urgency in her voice. He's trying to breathe. I need to put my hand in here to give him an air passage."

"I was praying very hard," Daley added, "please God let him live."

Daley described Wilson's actions after Isaac was born. "She could tell he wasn't breathing. She began administering oxygen and CPR for a minute, then told John to call 911."

Neither Heather Daley nor her husband blamed the midwife. In fact, they said what happened to their son was not a crime.

The defense has not yet presented its case.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

Featured Slideshows On KDKA.com

You need the latest Flash player to view video content.
Click here to download.

Click here to bypass this detection if you already have the latest Flash Player.

Local News

Top News Stories

© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.