Pope v. State
Maryland Court of Appeals
396 A.2d 1054 (1979)
Relevant factsFree
Joyce Pope (defendant) took in a mother, Melissa Norris, and her infant, both without a place to stay, but stood by without intervening, calling authorities, or seeking medical care while Norris, in a violent religious delusion, fatally beat the baby. Pope was convicted of first-degree child abuse, requiring that she have "responsibility for the supervision" of the child, and of common-law misprision of felony for concealing Norris's crime; she appealed.
IssueFree
Whether criminal liability may be imposed upon an individual for failing to fulfill a moral, instead of a legal, obligation.