Dad won't go to jail for death of toddler
Man whose son died in minivan last August accepts plea agreement.
Kesen Hu will make public service message.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
By Miguel Liscano
AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
GEORGETOWN - The father of an 18-month-old boy who died last year after he was forgotten in the family's minivan pleaded guilty Wednesday to a misdemeanor charge of endangering a child. In a deal with prosecutors, Kesen Hu will serve no jail time.
A Williamson County grand jury in February indicted Hu, 34, on two felony counts: criminally negligent homicide and endangering a child. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail.
As part of the deal, the endangering a child charge was reduced to a misdemeanor, and the state waived the other charge.
Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley said his office decided to invoke a provision of the penal code not often used in Williamson County that allows him to proceed with a state jail felony as a Class A misdemeanor in certain cases.
