Toodles to Toodles; Mia Pleads

The Chester mother of four and former fugitive used to hang with a rough crowd.

She can think about her non-motherly choices for the next two-and-a-half to five year in the state pen.

Mia Sardella also made a non-motherly choice. She pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter in the death of her newborn son and other charges. Having no prior criminal record she'll likely get less time than Toodles.

The Sardella case made headlines in part because of Upper Darby Police Super Mike Chitwood claiming she was getting special treatment from county prosecutors because of his social status. Her banker grandfather is rich, at least by Upper Darby standards.

Chitwood's real beef seemed to be with Sardella's lawyer, who did what defense lawyer's do - he jealously guarded the legal rights of his client. He refused to let Upper Police run roughshod over those rights and it irked the scumbag-hating and vocal police chief.

Frustrated, Chitwood claimed there are two systems of justice in America, one for the rich and one for the poor. "And anybody who doesn't think that is a fool."

For an experienced police chief to say such a thing is risible.

While it is certainly true that if charged with a crime it helps to be rich so that you can hire the best lawyers to protect your rights, even having the highest paid lawyer is far from any guarantee you can avoid justice.

OK, it worked for O.J. at his murder trial. But then so did having a jury whose prejudices were so shamefully played to. (It didn't work as well, this last time around.)

There is one criminal system of justice in this country and it is fair and unfair to rich and poor defendants every day. But mostly it is fair and impartial.

Chitwood managed to publicly shame the DAs office into charging the 18-year-old with First Degree Murder. But that charge was thrown out by Judge Pat Jenkins almost immediately as being unsupported by the evidence. It was not DA Mike Green's finest hour. But ultimately the system worked.

Sardella will almost assuredly receive a sentence similar to other young, psychologically impaired young women, rich or poor, who have killed their newborns.

And you don't have to be a "fool" to believe that.

CORRECTION: Sardella pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter and other charges, not third degree murder, since corrected.