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Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Sun
Willie Culver waits for District Court Judge Elissa F. Cadish’s ruling during his sentencing hearing Monday at the Regional Justice Center. Culver was sentenced to one year of probation for child endangerment in connection with leaving his 3-month-old and 2-year-old sons in his SUV while he was gambling in a bar for two hours in May 2009.
Monday, Oct. 5, 2009 | 3:03 p.m.
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A Las Vegas man who left his two children alone in a car for more than an hour while he drank and gambled was sentenced today to one year of probation.
Willie Culver, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of child endangerment, a gross misdemeanor, in exchange for the state dropping a second identical count.
According to police, Culver drove to the Club Car Lounge, 3685 S. Rainbow Blvd., on May 8 and left the doors unlocked with the keys in the ignition.
The 3-month-old and 2-year-old boys were in their car seats.
A passerby reported to police at about 12:30 p.m. that one child was screaming and paramedics responded to examine the children. The outside temperature was 88 degrees, according to a police report.
Child Protective Services released the children to their mother.
Culver told police that his family was struggling financially and after he dropped his two oldest children at school, he ran some errands then decided he would gamble to try and earn some extra money.
He told police that he arrived at the bar at 11 a.m. and began playing slot machines and that he would periodically check on his children.
Culver allegedly told probation officers he justified his actions by saying that he deliberately parked near a surveillance camera knowing he could watch the vehicle on the televisions in the bar, Deputy Public Defender Cesely Hopper said. He understands how serious his actions were that day, she said.
“He knows now that that’s not sufficient supervision. He’s not minimizing that at all,” she said.
District Court Judge Elissa Cadish disregarded the prosecution’s request for a 45-day jail sentence but admonished Culver for his behavior.
“Anyone could have taken those children out of that car and you might never have seen them again,” she said.
Culver has no criminal history and he no longer drinks or gambles, Hopper said.
Culver apologized and admitted to Cadish that there was no justification for his actions.
“I love my kids,” he said. “I’m not going to do that again.”
This judge needs to be run out of office. This guy deserved a year in jail. You go to jail for leaving a dog in the car without regard to it's safety . What is wrong. Is the need to let people pull slots that important. This is disgusting.
This judge is the menace to society. She failed us by giving this guy what amounts to a slap on the wrist. She needs to resign...she failed to protect those kids.
All -- who was hurt? No one. No victim + no intent = no crime.
It's got to be one of the sure signs we live in a police state when arrests and convictions are based on what MIGHT have been.
The last thing we need is this guy in jail. Who is going to take care of the kids? He can't do that in jail, who is going to provide a house and food? The mother can't easily take care of four kids alone. Just ask single mothers with one kid. Putting him in jail helps no one. The family would suffer more without him there regardless of his indiscretions. He may not be the best but he's better than nothing.
All I can sumises is that there must not have been a ballgame for "Willie" to watch at the time.
Speaking of ballgames, how about that Tigers/Twins game today?
; )