KIAN STEVENS - 3 Months (2010) - Blackman (N of Jackson) MI

A jury trial date has been set in the case against a 28-year-old man
charged with murder in connection with the death of his nearly
3-month-old baby.Adam Stevens' case will go to trial Sept. 12, Jackson County Circuit Judge John McBain said.

Stevens
is charged with felony murder and first-degree child abuse for
allegedly shaking Kian Stevens, who was born May 21, 2010, inside the
Blackman Township apartment he shared with Kian’s mother, Crystal
Anderson.After the baby stopped breathing, Anderson called 911
about 12:50 a.m. on Aug. 19. Kian died about 5 p.m. the same day at the
University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor.Severe head trauma killed him, two doctors earlier testified.Stevens
denies shaking his son, lawyer Michael Dungan said in December. Andrew
Kirkpatrick, who works in the same office as Dungan, has since taken
over Stevens’ defense.He told the judge today he would be
presenting an expert to counter or provide a differing view than doctors
expected to testify for Assistant Prosecutor Jerard Jarzynka, who
currently is handling the prosecution.The medical testimony likely is to be the crux of the case.http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2011/06/trial_date_set_for_man_accused_1.html

Jury trial delayed in case of man accused of killing nearly 3-month-old son
Published: Friday, August 12, 2011, 12:50 PM

A jury trial in the case of a man accused of killing his nearly 3-month-old son has been delayed.
The trial, once scheduled for Sept. 12, is to begin Oct. 24, Jackson County Circuit Judge told the parties this morning.
A defense expert needs more time to review medical records he recently received, said Adam Stevens’ lawyer, Andrew Kirkpatrick.
Stevens is charged with felony murder and first-degree child abuse for allegedly shaking Kian Stevens inside the Blackman Township apartment he shared with Kian’s mother, Crystal Anderson. Kian, born May 21, 2010, died Aug. 19.
Stevens has denied shaking his son, who doctors said died of abusive head trauma.

http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2011/08/jury_trial_delayed_in_case_of.html

Trial again delayed in case of man accused of killing his infant son
Published: Friday, October 07, 2011, 10:38 AM

A jury trial in the case of a man accused of killing his nearly 3-month-old son again has been delayed, this time until December.

Adam Stevens' trial, once scheduled for Oct. 24, is to begin Dec. 5, Jackson County Circuit Judge John McBain said today.

Macomb County Medical Examiner Dr. Daniel Spitz, who is to testify for the defense, has not yet seen or reviewed autopsy photographs, said Stevens' lawyer, Andrew Kirkpatrick.

The trial previously was delayed because the doctor needed time to look at medical records he had recently received.

Spitz is reviewing documents as quickly as he receives them, Kirkpatrick told the judge.

Stevens, 29, is charged with felony murder and first-degree child abuse for allegedly shaking Kian Stevens inside the Blackman Township apartment he shared with Kian's mother, Crystal Anderson. Kian died Aug. 19, 2010.

Two doctors earlier testified the cause of Kian's death was abusive head trauma.

Medical opinions on how the child died are expected to be the crux of the case.

http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2011/10/trial_again_delayed_in_case_of.html

Judge decides to allow testimony of past alleged acts of domestic violence at murder trial
Published: Tuesday, November 29, 2011, 7:42 PM

When angry, Adam Stevens would toss his infant son in the air instead of handing the boy to his mother, according to earlier testimony.
Stevens also allegedly would be rough with Kian Stevens, allowing the baby’s head to flop back and forth despite warnings from Kian’s mother, Crystal Anderson.
Jackson County Circuit Judge John McBain decided Tuesday he would allow the prosecution to present this and other testimony about Stevens’ alleged past behavior at his murder trial, which was scheduled to begin next week.
Stevens, 29, is accused of shaking Kian to death in August 2010 inside the Blackman Township apartment he shared with Anderson when Kian was nearly 3 months old. He is charged with felony murder and child abuse.
The trial was rescheduled for Jan. 30 to give Stevens’ lawyer, Andrew Kirkpatrick, time to find an alternate expert medical witness to testify for the defense.
He initially solicited the opinion of Oakland County Medical Examiner, Dr. Daniel Spitz, but he told the judge Tuesday he would like to get a different medical examiner to look at the case. Kirkpatrick was not specific about the reason for seeking another opinion.
The judge said he is permitting testimony of Stevens’ past under a law making evidence of earlier acts of domestic violence admissible in a criminal action against a defendant accused of an offense involving domestic violence.
Domestic violence is defined by the law as “causing or attempting to cause physical or mental harm to a family or household member.”
Kirkpatrick said the information would be more prejudicial than probative, meaning it would sour jurors’ opinion of his client more than it would help prove or explore the charges against him.
McBain said the testimony will give jurors context by showing a turbulent relationship.
The judge also said Assistant Prosecutor Jerard Jarzynka could present some testimony regarding Stevens’ actions toward Anderson, who is to testify, and her other children.
He punched a hole in an apartment wall or door, threw a glass object against the wall and repeatedly threatened Anderson, McBain said Tuesday, reading from a prosecution document and citing a preliminary examination transcript.
Stevens once allegedly told Anderson he would bring her so close to death she would wish she were dead, McBain said.
Kirkpatrick said it is troubling such testimony could be held against someone even when the allegations did not previously garner criminal charges.
Stevens has no past domestic violence convictions in Jackson County District or Circuit courts, according to online records.
Kirkpatrick said he anticipated he would present a witness or witnesses to contradict testimony of his past acts.

http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2011/11/judge_decides_to_allow_testimo.html

Jury selection began Monday in Jackson County in the trial for a man accused of killing his nearly 3-month-old son. Adam Stevens is charged with first-degree murder and child abuse.
His son, Kian Stevens died back in August of 2010. During Stevens'
preliminary hearing doctors testified the child died from abusive head
trauma, possibly from shaking.

Doctors also found the baby had broken ribs, but those injuries happened a few weeks before he died.

http://www.wlns.com/story/16631731/trial-for-man-accused-of-killing-3-month-old-son-begins

I hope the jury does their job and finds this monster guilty of first degree murder for the death of a 3 MONTH OLD BABY!! Shake him to death please.

When Kian Stevens’ mother demonstrated how the baby’s father used to
shake him, the motion appeared “vigorous” to Blackman-Leoni Township
Detective Robert Shrock Jr.
In an interview with police, Crystal Anderson said Adam Stevens had been doing this to the nearly 3-month-old since after he was born, Shrock testified today during Stevens’ jury trial.
Stevens, 29, who admitted he was rough with the boy, is charged with felony murder and first-degree child abuse in the death of Kian.
Shrock
was the last prosecution witness before Assistant Prosecutor Jerard
Jarzynka rested his case Thursday afternoon. Stevens’ lawyer, Andrew
Kirkpatrick, is to begin presenting his witnesses on Monday. There is no
testimony scheduled for Friday and the lawyers’ presentations are
expected to end Tuesday.
Kirkpatrick is contending Kian was hurt
in an accidental fall in the early hours of Aug. 19, 2010. Kian was
pronounced dead at about 5:17 p.m. the same day.
Jarzynka argues
Stevens shook the boy hard enough to cause fatal head injuries. The boy
had bilateral bleeding on his brain and bleeding behind his eyes. Two
doctors have testified he died of abusive head trauma.
No one has
testified they saw Stevens shake Kian the morning he stopped breathing,
and according to medical testimony, the head injuries were inflicted a
short time before Kian started having difficulties. Emergency workers
were called at about 12:50 a.m. to the Blackman Township apartment
Stevens and Anderson shared.
More than 16 hours later, Shrock and
Blackman-Leoni Township Detective Sgt. Chris Boulter spoke with Stevens
and Anderson at the University of Michigan Health System’s C.S. Mott
Children’s Hospital after Kian’s death.
Anderson was emotional, Shrock said. She was distraught, crying and concerned, Boulter said.
Stevens was “flat,” Shrock said. He lacked emotion, the detective said.
When Kirkpatrick questioned him, Shrock conceded people have different reactions to stress.
In a recorded conversation with Boulter, Stevens denied ever shaking or tossing his baby son.
"He's
not old enough for that. I wouldn't do that," Stevens said of shaking
the boy. His conversation with Boulter was played Thursday in court.
"I have maybe held him up. I've never tossed him in the air," he said to Boulter.
"I was a little rough with him at first."
Anderson earlier testified Stevens had shaken and tossed their son in the past.
Early
the day Kian died, Stevens said he was sleeping and got up and got a
drink. Kian was squirming in his living room bassinet, and Stevens said
he patted the boy's back to get him to sleep.
Kian was moving
around more than normal and Stevens said he picked up the boy, who was
on his stomach, and placed him on his shoulder.
Anderson came out and noted there was a problem, he said, but he tried to get Kian aware and responsive.
Stevens, who is to testify next week, never mentioned to the detective there had been a fall that morning.
http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2012/02/detective_testifies_moms_demon.html

The mother claims he had been shaking the baby since he was born. Why did the mother allow this abuse to continue? Why wasn't she charged?

I agree Twink. The mother saw him shake that baby for 3 whole months and did nothing about it? She should be charged with child neglect and whatever else they charge you with when you don't see help or allow child abuse to occur. She should not have any more children as it's obvious she doesn't have a brain.

If a uterus was the only requirement for being a mother... Oh wait it is.

I'm emailing the DA in this case and asking him why this POS isn't being charged.

I'm going to start doing that in every case when a POS woman is complicit in the murder of her baby by her husband or boyfriend.

A mother knows when a baby has been traumatized. But ABUSED, my gawd, come on. This POS even admitted to knowing.

APRIL 13, 2014
MICHIGAN COURT OF APPEALS AFFIRMS CONVICTION, SENTENCE OF MAN WHO KILLED INFANT SON

JACKSON, MI – The Michigan Court of Appeals affirmed this week the conviction and sentence of a 31-year-old man serving 25 to 50 years in prison for killing his nearly 3-month-old son.

A Jackson County jury convicted Adam Stevens in February 2012 of second-degree murder and second-degree child abuse and the ruling, released Thursday, April 10, assures Stevens’ status as a prisoner and a felon, at least for now, will not change.

Stevens, who could try to take his case to the state Supreme Court, contended he accidentally dropped Kian Stevens. The prosecution argued he shook the boy or slammed him into a soft surface, causing the abusive head trauma doctors said brought about his August 2010 death.

In his appeal, Stevens argued he was denied a fair trial because Jackson County Circuit Judge John McBain showed judicial bias when he questioned Stevens and a defense medical expert, according to the court opinion.

For example, when the expert testified that, though it is rare, short falls can cause serious injuries and death, McBain asked the doctor to define “rarely” and used the example of “one in a million.” The judge further confirmed the doctor was an assistant pathologist in Florida, not a chief pathologist and asked the expert whether a chief pathologist would have more experience. In contrast, the prosecution presented the head medical examiner in Washtenaw County.

“While the trial court could have been more careful in its choice of words, the trial court did not unjustifiably arouse suspicion with its inquires of the defense witnesses and thus we find no error,” states the opinion, a 2-1 decision. “The testimony elicited may have been harmful to the defendant’s case, but it was not improper.”

The judge also asked questions of almost every prosecution witness, according to the document, and Stevens or his attorney did not object to all the judge’s inquiries.

McBain told jurors that his comments, rulings, questions and instructions are not evidence. “If I ask questions, my only reason would be to ask about things that may not have been fully explored,” he told them, according to the opinion.

Stevens also contended there was insufficient evidence to sustain a conviction, but the Court of Appeals ruled a reasonable jury could conclude Stevens intended to “create a very high risk of death or great bodily harm” and that this risk or harm was the probable result of his actions.

He further argued evidence of his past acts of domestic violence should not have been presented to jurors. During trial, the jury learned he had verbally abused his girlfriend’s oldest daughter, threatened to hit her and injured her arm. He also punched holes the wall of the apartment he shared with his girlfriend, threatened her, destroyed her cell phone and shoved her. This evidence was not relevant and proved more prejudicial than probative, he contended, but the higher court disagreed.

“A defendant’s tendency to commit domestic assault in the past is highly relevant to whether he has committed another domestic assault,” the Court of Appeals found.

Stevens is now housed at the Saginaw Correctional Facility in Freeland, between Saginaw and Midland, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections.
Source Article from http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2014/04/michigan_court_of_appeals_affi_1.html