Clinton woman sentence for child endangerment

 20-year-old Clinton woman has been sentenced to prison after she admitted she shook and slapped her infant, who suffered major injuries, according to court records.

Genna Merchant pleaded guilty to a charge of child endangerment – bodily injury, court records say. On Thursday, she appeared in Clinton County Court, where she was sentenced to a term not to exceed five years in prison.

She will be given credit for time already served in the case. Her term of incarceration “may be reduced from the maximum sentence because of statutory earned time, work credits and program credits,” court records show.

“The Court determines that the following sentence will provide the maximum opportunity for rehabilitation of (Merchant) and will provide the maximum protection of the community from further offenses by (Merchant,”) the sentencing order says. “This sentence also provides for specific and general deterrence.”

On May 24, 2024, Clinton Police were notified by the Department of Human Services of a possible “shaken baby” case, arrest affidavits say.

After a DHS made a home visit that day, the family was directed to take the infant to MercyOne Emergency Room for evaluation of a subconjunctival hemorrhage (a broken blood vessel in the white of the eye that looks like a red spot or patch.)

“It is documented in the emergency room notes that a family member reports to emergency room staff that the mother of the infant admitted to them that she shook the infant,” police say in affidavits.

A computerized tomography (CT) scan was conducted at MercyOne and concerns with the brain CT scan were documented as well as fractures to the right femur and tibia. The infant was transported for further care to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

An MRI of the infant’s brain conducted at the University of Iowa Hospital identified an “area of white matter injury.” Also, documented were metaphyseal fractures – breaks in the wider part of a bone near the growth plate, which is known as the metaphysis – to the right leg.

A Zoom meeting was held on June 3, 2024 with the University of Iowa staff responsible for the infant’s care. A doctor with the hospital said that the fractures were non-accidental and were “likely caused by a twisting or pulling action,” according to the affidavits. It was also the doctor’s opinion that the brain injury observed in the MRI was possibly from a prior traumatic event. The physician said there was some bleeding in the child’s eyes.

During the investigation it was learned that the baby was examined at the MercyOne ER on May 3, 2024, for bleeding from the floor of the mouth. “It is documented in the Emergency Department notes that the injury occurred after insertion of a pacifier,” affidavits show.