Tag: child neglect

Family Doctor Arrested for Child Neglect?

timothy-coke-neglect
The Sheriff’s blotter shows an arrest last night of a “Timothy John Coke”, age 46, with a reported address in Symphony Bay off Clint Moore just east of 441. The charge listed is neglect of a child:

A person who willfully or by culpable negligence neglects a child without causing great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement to the child

We can’t say it’s him for sure, but there is a doctor practicing family medicine in the area with the same name. The property record shows it’s owned by a couple who may be his parents.
Dr. Coke graduated from a medical school in Hungary and did residencies in Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
This case looks a little odd to us for a couple reasons. First, he remains in custody awaiting bond. We don’t see any reason why a bond would be required in a case like this. He should have been released on recognizance.
Second, a case like this can often be the result of false allegations by the accused’s significant other during a domestic dispute, or poor judgment by the police in charging neglect for what may be an ordinary bad parenting moment. Of course without seeing documents we can’t say for sure, but as always the accused is innocent at this stage of the process.
Update: WPTV has more details.
Per that article the allegation is that Coke’s 6-year-old was found swimming naked in the community lake, unsupervised. An older son was supposed to be watching the boy. It seems like a stretch to make this a crime.

Felony Child Neglect Charge: Tyler Briggs

tyler-briggs-child-abuse
On Wednesday PBSO deputies arrested Tyler Briggs (40) on the charge of child neglect. Briggs has had eight cases in the county since 2009 including a violent felony (aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and battery) in 2012 that was dropped by prosecutors. Last year he did 2 days in jail on a misdemeanor domestic battery, and he’s had a few other minor criminal charges. We also found a 2011 battery case for him in Collier County (Naples area).
The charge against him seems dubious. In law there’s a concern about crimes that are “vague.” The specific language of the statute he’s accused of violating is:

A person who willfully or by culpable negligence neglects a child without causing great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement to the child.

Neglect is defined as:

A caregiver’s failure or omission to provide a child with the care, supervision, and services necessary to maintain the child’s physical and mental health, including, but not limited to, food, nutrition, clothing, shelter, supervision, medicine, and medical services that a prudent person would consider essential for the well-being of the child

We don’t know what the specific accusations are against Mr. Briggs, but the law he’s accused of violating seems vague. He’s accused of not being a prudent parent (or caregiver). All parents have moments that could fit that description. Taking such a vague charge and treating it as a felony seems unreasonably harsh.
Mr. Briggs’ reported address is near the intersection of Lyons and SW 3rd St.