Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Hopkinsville Rallying Around Abandoned Baby


The Hopkinsville community has come together in a show of support for the new born baby that was abandoned in a church bus at the First Street Baptist Church. An emergency hearing was held today in Christian County Family Court where Circuit Judge Jason Fleming presided over a motion by the Commonweath to give temporary custody of the baby to the Cabinet for Health and Human Services.


Representing the Commonwealth on behalf of the baby was Assistant County Attorney John Lindsey Adams. Adams I'm told work feverishly to expidite legal matters so the Cabinet could place the baby in a foster home.


Sources in the Justice Center have told me that numerous phone calls have come into Judge Fleming's office offering assistance to the baby. I also learned that Judge Fleming also approved a request by the Cabinet to provide the baby boy a name whereas the child has been referred to as the "John Doe Baby". I was informed that the boy was named Matthew Lindsey. Matthew because the child was found in a church bus and Matthew having been an apostle of Jesus. Matthew meaning "gift of Jehovah". Lindsey being the middle name of Assistant County Attorney John Lindsey Adams who took on the childs cause as his advocate.


After hearing this I paid a visit to the County Attorney's Office to try to verify this story about the name. I asked John Lindsey Adams if the story was true and Mr. Adams reply was " I can't confirm or deny the story because of the confidential nature of the case and the fact that the person in question is a minor".


Adams did say " I think it speaks well of our community that so many have come forth to offer help." Adams stated that he had received a number of phone calls from members of the community offering to take care of the child. When asked about the status of the childs health, Adams said that the baby was ok but beyond that he could not discuss any details.


There has been a whirl-wind media storm the last 24 hours surrounding this story and I asked Christian County Attorney Mike Foster what he thought about this incident.


Foster said, "The bad news is that someone abandoned a child in a parking lot rather than taking the child to a hospital or an emergency care facility as authorized by law. The good news is that the baby is doing well and will be placed in a loving home that will hopefully provide the child with a bright future."

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