An Arkadelphia woman accused of harassment for comments she posted on her son’s Facebook account has been found guilty in Clark County Court.
Denise New, 35, 215 Gum St., was sentenced today to 30 days in jail but Clark County District Judge Randy Hill suspended that sentence with the understanding that New will complete conditions of the sentence.
New was charged with misdemeanor harassment after she posted comments to her son’s Facebook account. During the trial, details about those comments were released and Hill said that he found particularly horrendous a comment New made to the effect that, “the biggest mistake I ever made was to have a child.”
Hill told New as he was setting sentence that “nobody has the right to talk to anybody like that.”
The case emerged early this year after New’s minor son filed a complaint with the Arkadelphia Police Department regarding the comments his mother had posted to his Facebook account. The case generated a flurry of media attention and several news outlets were present in the courtroom during the trial.
Both New and her son, Arkadelphia resident Lane New, testified about the events that led to the harassment charge. The charge stemmed from a domestic dispute in which Arkadelphia Police were called. According to testimony during the trial, New had then hacked into Lane’s Facebook account and made a post to his Facebook page about that dispute. New, posing as her son, had posted on the page a comment that made it appear that her son admitted to starting the argument with his mother and then calling to police to get her in trouble.
During the sentencing phase of the trial, Hill said he found that to be the most serious of all the claims in the case because it made it appear that Lane had lied to police.
“Her intention at that point was to try to save her own hide, in my opinion,” Hill said.
Hill said he’d handled a number of harassment cases over recent years that used the Internet as a medium for the harassment. The difference, Hill said, was that this case involved a mother and son. During the case, New’s attorney, Justin Hurst, said that New was trying to teach her son a lesson about recent behavior and the dangers of the Internet. He also alleged that the state, in filing harassment charges against New, was interfering in the relationship between a mother and son.
Deputy Prosecutor Todd Turner said that wasn’t the case. New has not had custody of her son for about five years.
When Hill handed down his sentence, he said that he didn’t see evidence that the state had interfered in a mother’s right to discipline her son. Instead, he said, this was a clear-cut case of harassment.
Hill said that New’s comments to her son’s Facebook page and messages she left him were “not only inappropriate, but totally outrageous. The defense that she was trying to teach him a less, what exactly were you trying to teach him?”
Hill said that he’s seen many cases in which parents abuse their children and the children then become abusers. He addressed Lane, saying that he hopes the boy realizes this is not the way a parent is supposed to behave, then said that he hoped that realization would be the “one good thing that comes out of this.”
Hill said that he does believe in a parent’s right to discipline and correct their children. Hill said the problem is that New’s actions were not discipline, but harassment.
“It’s a sad example that you have set for your son,” Hill said. “And for society.”
Hill told New that she will be subjected to random drug and alcohol testing for the next year and ordered that she complete an anger management class and a parenting class. Until she completes those classes, she will not be allowed contact with her son though Hill said he would revisit the issue of visitation after Hill completes those classes.
New’s attorney asked Hill if the alcohol testing meant that New couldn’t drink at all. Hill responded simply, “She doesn’t need to fail a test.”
Following the sentencing, several television reporters asked New for a comment.
“I don’t care to comment because it might be considered harassment,” New said.
She went on to say that she apparently wasn’t able to judge what might be considered harassment but said, “Nobody knows my heart but God.”
When New stood to leave the courtroom, Hurst reminded her that she had to wait to sign sentencing papers and urged her to take a seat some distance from the reporters.
Travis Berry, who appeared with Lane New, said that his client had had some problems recently with grades and other issues but that he was now “looking forward.”
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An Arkadelphia woman accused of harassment for comments she posted on her son’s Facebook account has been found guilty in Clark County Court.
Denise New, 35, 215 Gum St., was sentenced today to 30 days in jail but Clark County District Judge Randy Hill suspended that sentence with the understanding that New will complete conditions of the sentence.
New was charged with misdemeanor harassment after she posted comments to her son’s Facebook account. During the trial, details about those comments were released and Hill said that he found particularly horrendous a comment New made to the effect that, “the biggest mistake I ever made was to have a child.”
Hill told New as he was setting sentence that “nobody has the right to talk to anybody like that.”
The case emerged early this year after New’s minor son filed a complaint with the Arkadelphia Police Department regarding the comments his mother had posted to his Facebook account. The case generated a flurry of media attention and several news outlets were present in the courtroom during the trial.
Both New and her son, Arkadelphia resident Lane New, testified about the events that led to the harassment charge. The charge stemmed from a domestic dispute in which Arkadelphia Police were called. According to testimony during the trial, New had then hacked into Lane’s Facebook account and made a post to his Facebook page about that dispute. New, posing as her son, had posted on the page a comment that made it appear that her son admitted to starting the argument with his mother and then calling to police to get her in trouble.
During the sentencing phase of the trial, Hill said he found that to be the most serious of all the claims in the case because it made it appear that Lane had lied to police.
“Her intention at that point was to try to save her own hide, in my opinion,” Hill said.
Hill said he’d handled a number of harassment cases over recent years that used the Internet as a medium for the harassment. The difference, Hill said, was that this case involved a mother and son. During the case, New’s attorney, Justin Hurst, said that New was trying to teach her son a lesson about recent behavior and the dangers of the Internet. He also alleged that the state, in filing harassment charges against New, was interfering in the relationship between a mother and son.
Deputy Prosecutor Todd Turner said that wasn’t the case. New has not had custody of her son for about five years.
When Hill handed down his sentence, he said that he didn’t see evidence that the state had interfered in a mother’s right to discipline her son. Instead, he said, this was a clear-cut case of harassment.
Hill said that New’s comments to her son’s Facebook page and messages she left him were “not only inappropriate, but totally outrageous. The defense that she was trying to teach him a less, what exactly were you trying to teach him?”
Hill said that he’s seen many cases in which parents abuse their children and the children then become abusers. He addressed Lane, saying that he hopes the boy realizes this is not the way a parent is supposed to behave, then said that he hoped that realization would be the “one good thing that comes out of this.”
Hill said that he does believe in a parent’s right to discipline and correct their children. Hill said the problem is that New’s actions were not discipline, but harassment.
“It’s a sad example that you have set for your son,” Hill said. “And for society.”
Hill told New that she will be subjected to random drug and alcohol testing for the next year and ordered that she complete an anger management class and a parenting class. Until she completes those classes, she will not be allowed contact with her son though Hill said he would revisit the issue of visitation after Hill completes those classes.
New’s attorney asked Hill if the alcohol testing meant that New couldn’t drink at all. Hill responded simply, “She doesn’t need to fail a test.”
Following the sentencing, several television reporters asked New for a comment.
“I don’t care to comment because it might be considered harassment,” New said.
She went on to say that she apparently wasn’t able to judge what might be considered harassment but said, “Nobody knows my heart but God.”
When New stood to leave the courtroom, Hurst reminded her that she had to wait to sign sentencing papers and urged her to take a seat some distance from the reporters.
Travis Berry, who appeared with Lane New, said that his client had had some problems recently with grades and other issues but that he was now “looking forward.”
