Woman to serve jail term for child abuse

TONYA SMITH-KING

The Jackson Sun

TRENTON A Gibson County mother found guilty last year of throwing a shoe and striking a 17-year-old girl in the eye will begin serving a 20-day jail sentence later this month.

Frances Ellen Matthews entered a guilty plea Monday in Circuit Court to one count of child abuse.

She will begin serving the 20-day sentence at 6 p.m. Nov. 25 at the Gibson County Jail and will serve the time on weekends, Judge Clayburn Peeples said Monday during court.

Matthews was sentenced last December to 11 months and 29 days in jail for the incident, which happened in 2003. All but 20 days of the sentence was suspended at that time.

Matthews had appealed the conviction to Gibson County Circuit Court. A second count of child abuse and neglect was dropped.

The state Department of Children's Services removed 16 children, many with severe physical and mental disabilities, from Matthews' home in August 2004 over child abuse and neglect accusations. The children ranged in age from 3 to 17.

By February 2005, DCS confirmed it was working with Matthews and her husband, Dale, to return all the children. The 17-year-old girl had turned 18 and had already returned to the Matthews' home at the time.

Frances Matthews' attorney, Jason Scott, said Monday that the couple had gotten back nine or 10 of the children.

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What to know

Frances Ellen Matthews was sentenced last December to 11 months and 29 days in jail for the incident, which happened in 2003. All but 20 days of the sentence was suspended at that time.