Mother Accepts Plea Deal For Taking Kids Without Permission
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The mother accused of illegally taking her three children cross-country, which set off a massive search, has taken a plea deal.
Carrie Weingarth agreed to a plea deal that allows her to avoid further jailtime after taking her three kids to California, without their father's permission. The search that ensued, back in February, was large and costly and eventually ended with a tearful reunion with the dad at the airport.
Carrie Weingarth pled no contest to interfering with the custody of her children. She will face probation and some evaluations...far less than the prison time prosecutors were first after.
But her attorney tells CBS4's Natalia Zea their battle against police and the kids' father is just beginning.
Click here to WATCH Natalia Zea's report
Carrie Weingarth pled no contest to interfering with the custody of her children. She will face probation and some evaluations...far less than the prison time prosecutors were first after.
"My position in court is that there was a misunderstanding as to why she was taking the kids. She got scared and she left," said Rick Yabor, Weingarth's attorney.
Yabor said Weingarth is pleading no contest to the charge of interfering with child custody so she will be granted supervised visits with her children who she hasn't seen since taking them in February.
"It's something that has affected her and its why we've decided to put this case to rest," said Yabor.
Dozens of Miami-Dade Police Officers attended her last hearing, after her lawyers accused officers of exaggerating the kids disappearance in order to earn $10,000 in overtime.
One school officer said Weingarth should never have been charged.
"There was no reason for the dragnet," said Officer Daniel Rivera.
Yabor hinted a lawsuit against the department may be in the works,but first Weingarth will attempt to keep partial custody of her kids.
"This is something that will now be addressed in family court, which in my opinion is where it should have been in the first place. It's a family court case," Yabor said.
The terms of the plea deal require Weingarth to be put on probation for two years, take a parenting course and undergo mental and drug abuse evaluations.
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