For Thieving Baby... — Gail Bates - Harsh Punishment

Thus, a literal “thieving baby” (under 12 months) cannot be arrested, charged, or punished under criminal law. Social services might investigate the parents for neglect or coercion, but the infant faces no court.

The trouble began on a Tuesday afternoon when Gail caught the neighbor’s toddler, a chubby-cheeked two-year-old named Leo, waddling across her porch with her antique silver thimble clutched in his sticky fist. Gail Bates - Harsh Punishment For Thieving Baby...

Gail Bates, a 38-year-old woman from Baltimore, Maryland, made headlines in 2008 for her extreme reaction to her 18-month-old baby boy's misbehavior. The incident involved the baby stealing a cookie from a plate on the kitchen counter. In response, Bates duct-taped her son's feet to a kitchen chair and left him there for approximately two hours. Thus, a literal “thieving baby” (under 12 months)

The persistence of this phrase likely stems from : Gail Bates, a 38-year-old woman from Baltimore, Maryland,