He will serve his time in private home detention.
Frederick, Md. (KM) – A Monrovia man charged in the death of his infant daughter made a plea in court on Thursday. Jason Michael Colley, 42, entered an Alford plea to two counts of 1st-degree assault. That’s where a defendant doesn’t admit guilt, but acknowledges the prosecution has enough evidence for a conviction.
The State’s Attorney’s Office says Colley was sentenced to a combined 50 years on the two counts of 1st-degree assault, suspending all but eight years to be served on private home detention. He was given five years of supervised probation and that he not engage in any physical punishment of children. Prosecutors had argued for a term of eight to 18 years in prison based on the two counts, followed by five years of probation. Colley’s attorneys argued for home detention.
This plea agreement follows four days of jury selection in what was expected to be a lengthy trial.
On September 19th, 2017, State Police were called to Colley’s home in the 12000 block of Fingerboard Road for a sick or injured person. It was a six-month-old girl who was having seizures and not breathing. . She was transported to Shady Grove Hospital in Montgomery County, and then flown to Children’s Hospital in Washington DC where she was pronounced dead.
An investigation determined that the baby’s injuries were not caused by accident or illness, but by an intentional act, the State’s Attorney’s Office says.
“The death of this child is certainly a tragedy and is also certainly a crime,” said State’s Attorney Charlie Smith, in a statement. “Maryland State guidelines are in place to ensure consistency in sentencing.. We strongly believe a guidelines prison sentence was warranted, but the judge believed differently.”
By Kevin McManus