Sentence reduced for mother convicted of child neglect

Thursday, March 26, 1998 | 11:21 a.m.

Washoe District Judge Steven Kosach on Wednesday slashed 15 years off the sentence for Christie Ann Rice that was imposed by a different judge.

The Nevada Supreme Court ordered a new sentencing hearing after ruling that errors were made when Washoe District Judge Brent Adams previously sentenced Rice.

Given the four years Rice has already served in prison, she likely could be released from prison in the near future.

Within hours of Kosach made his decision, Chief Deputy District Attorney David Clifton filed a motion asking him to reconsider the new sentence or allow the Supreme Court to review it.

"That was the most extreme and unwarranted reduction of another judge's sentence that I've ever seen," Clifton told the Reno-Gazette Journal.

"Even the defense did not request such a substantial reduction in her sentence."

The prosecution suggested a 14-year sentence. Rice's attorney, Laura FitzSimmons, recommend 12 years.

Eleven-week old Matthew Rice died of abuse on Sept. 24, 1992. During his short life, authorities said he suffered a broken leg, broken ribs, second-degree burns, human bite marks, a fractured skull and brain trauma.

Christie Rice was convicted of felony child neglect causing substantial bodily harm for not seeking medical care for the boy.

The child's father, Cody A. Rice, was sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing the baby.

Christie Rice sobbed as she told the court before her sentencing that she is tormented by her son's death.

"I have a million scenarios of things I would change," she said. "I have a million scenarios of things I would have done differently. But I can't do that."

She cried and hugged her lawyer after the judge reduced her sentence to five years from 20.