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On trial for the murder of her four-year-old-daughter, Carlotta Brett-Pierce of Brooklyn has denied any criminal wrongdoing. The Brooklyn mother has been charged with drugging, starving, and beating her daughter, Marchella, to death. Brett-Pierce and her mother Loretta Brett, who has also been charged, have both pled not guilty and have said that they were doing the best they could in raising the child. Brett-Pierce was questioned by her defense lawyer as she took the stand in her own defense. In September 2010, Marchella Pierce died weighing half the normal weight of a child her age. She had cuts and bruises on her body at the time of death. Prosecutors allege that the girl had been nearly starved to death, often drugged, and died as the result of those factors combined with physical abuse. Her mother admitted during the trial this week that Marchella had lost weight, but that she did not look bad nor was there anything about her that would suggest criminal activity. When questioned by her lawyer, Brett-Pierce explained that the girl had weighed only 2 lbs. at birth and had been in the hospital numerous times as result. The lawyer asked about Marchella’s breathing tube, and the mother described the cleaning process that she had gone through daily with the tube and how she had believed that once Marchella came home from the hospital and did not require such intricate care, that she would get better. She told the court of the food processor she had received to prepare her daughter’s meals. Six months after Marchella left the hospital, however, she was dead. The report from the medical examiner said that she had suffered malnutrition, dehydration, drug poisoning, and battered-child syndrome. In addition to the mother and grandmother, prosecutors have also brought charges against two city welfare workers for criminally negligent homicide. It is the first time that welfare workers in Brooklyn have faced criminal charges in conjunction with a child who died while under their purview. All of those accused are being tried separately, and each has a separate Brooklyn criminal defense lawyer. The trials for the mother and grandmother are running concurrently. It is a case that has attracted great public interest and invoked a whole spectrum of public opinion and commentary. But all four defendants still have legal rights and will not be tried in the court of public opinion, but in a court of law. And each will have the assistance of a criminal defense lawyer to help defend each case. If you face a criminal charge in the Brooklyn area, you are entitled to the same rights and to have a criminal defense lawyer provide legal counsel so that you can build the defense your case requires to gain the best possible outcome. Your Brooklyn criminal defense lawyer will work to keep you abreast of everything involving your case and will endeavor to protect your rights throughout the process. Victor Knapp is a seasoned Brooklyn criminal defense lawyer who for 30 years has been fighting diligently for the rights of his clients. Victor Knapp believes in open communication with his clients and will keep you informed at every step of the New York criminal process. He makes sure he is available to address your concerns, and he will involve you in the dynamics and strategies of your case. He will meticulously review the prosecution’s evidence, bringing in expert testimony if necessary. Contact Victor Knapp today at 718.263.9000 or via the web at www.victorknapp.com.
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