Man Who Abused Newborn Baby Asks Judge to Reduce Sentence

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Story Published: Jul 7, 2008 at 5:19 PM MST

Story Updated: Nov 20, 2008 at 10:47 PM MST

By Nate Eaton

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A Rexburg man in prison for severely abusing his eight-week-old baby is asking a judge to reduce his sentence.

Kason McCairns is in the state penitentiary in Boise but on Monday his attorney asked Judge Brent Moss to bring his client back to the Madison County jail on a rider. That would allow McCairns to go to counseling and possibly get him out of jail early.

Betty Haskin, Baby's Grandmother: "It would inflict greater pain on us if the sentence was shortened."

Betty Haskin's infant grandson was severely abused by his father, Kason McCairns, for several weeks.

The baby was less than 2 months old and McCairns admitted to bruising the boys genitals, face, breaking his ribs, and causing a skull fracture.

Lt. Shane Turman, Rexburg Police Dept." "Because of his anger and frustration with the child, he just let the child [fall] to the floor. At that point he said that he reached down, grabbing the child by his clothes, raising him about a foot to a foot and a half dropped the child again. [Then he] reached down again, lifting the child a foot to a foot and a half off the floor, and allowing the child to strike."

In March McCairns was sentenced 2 to 9 nine years in prison. Monday his attorney asked Judge Brent Moss to change the sentence. He says McCairns has received counseling, read several church books on repentance, and is a changed man.

McCairns ex-wife, Heather Haskin, says changing the sentence will hurt her and her son.

Heather Haskin, Baby's Mother: "We don't feel like a person should be damned but we do feel like that there's a need here for repayment and some amount of suffering on his part."

McCairns wrote a letter to Judge Moss, asking for mercy, and both Heather and Betty Haskin also wrote letters asking for justice.

Judge Brent Moss: "I will look again at the material that's been submitted and if the court believes that in some way an error was committed, I'm willing to change that."

Moss will review all the letters and rule on of the motion of leniency within the next 10 days.

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