On June 4, 2019, in the 240th District Court, Presiding Judge Frank Fraley sentenced a Richmond woman to 12 years in prison. Following her plea of guilty to the second-degree felony offense of Injury to a Child by Recklessly Causing Serious Bodily Injury, Defendant Marie Horton requested the judge assess her punishment.Over the course of three days, prosecutors Claire Andresen and Jenna Rudoff presented evidence in a punishment hearing showing that Horton disciplined a seven-year-old boy in her adoptive care by forcing him to stand in hot water until he suffered second and third-degree burns.Horton, who at the time worked as a registered nurse, did not seek medical attention for the child’s injuries.Once the Department of Family and Protective Services (commonly referred to as “Child Protective Services”) learned of the injuries and intervened, the child was taken for skin grafts at Shriner’s Burn Center.The defense painted Horton as a good mother and nurse who made a terrible decision and emphasized the fact that the child’s injuries have completely healed.Multiple family members and coworkers testified in support of Horton, requesting the court show her leniency because she made an error in judgment and has learned from her ways.However, during cross-examination, Horton testified that she would not necessarily take different actions if a similar situation were to arise again. Further, the court heard from the child’s therapist about the long-term effects of the abuse.Lead prosecutor Claire Andresen said “There is a difference between punishing a child and abusing a child. When discipline escalates to the point it causes injuries so severe to require surgery – that is abuse. It is important for children to understand that it is never their fault when they are abused and that if they come forward, we will work to protect them.”Horton’s husband, Christopher Funderburg, was previously sentenced for his part in the crime.Funderburg pled guilty to the offense of Attempted Tampering with a Witness on August 23, 2018, and was sentenced to 2 years of community supervision.In an attempt to protect Horton from criminal prosecution, Funderburg instructed the child victim to lie to law enforcement and medical professionals about the cause of his injuries.Assistant District Attorney Jenna Rudoff noted that “without the school administrators and medical professionals involved in this case, this child’s injuries may have gone untreated. They worked hard to uncover the truth of what happened to this child and to keep him safe.”