Jury Convicts Mother in Baby Death Case

Another case of a selfish, insecure mom letting a scumbag come before her own child...

A jury in Luzerne County has found a mother guilty in connection with her infant's death.
Jurors returned guilty verdicts on both counts against Tiffany Simmons just before 8 p.m. Friday night. They found her guilty of involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment.
Simmons is scheduled to be sentenced next month.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys made their closing arguments late Friday afternoon after Simmons herself took the stand in her own defense.
A jury in Luzerne County found TiffanySimmons guilty of putting her infant son in danger, leading to his death.
The jury found the 26-year-old woman should not have allowed her three-month-old son, Xavier, around her boyfriend, Alan Leitzel.
Investigators said Simmons knew Leitzel was violent. He is charged with killing the baby by shaking and hitting him back in January of this year at Leitzel's home in West Hazleton.
Simmons told jurors she loved her son and life without him is a nightmare.
Simmons admitted she lied to Children and Youth workers and police, telling them she and Xavier were not around Leitzel.
Simmons signed an agreement with Children and Youth, promising to keep Xavier away from Leitzel.
She testified she thought Leitzel, "was a good guy. He loved my son, he cared for my son."
She went on to tell the court when Xavier died, "I was crying hysterically. I felt like it was a nightmare. I was shocked."
A defense attorney told jurors Simmons was a good mother, one who could not have known what Leitzel was capable of.
Prosecutors painted a different picture of Simmons, saying in closing arguments she was "cunning" and "wasn't crying" over her dead son but instead was "lying" to protect Alan Leitzel.
As for Alan Leitzel, his homicide trial is set for February. If convicted, he could face the death penalty.