Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said Thursday he plans to file an article of impeachment against a Miami judge after a woman was found not guilty in the drowning of her baby, arguing she was experiencing a psychotic episode due to COVID-19.
Precious Bland, 43, was found not guilty due to reason of insanity on Tuesday by Judge Miguel De La O after a two-day bench trial examining Bland’s drowning of her 15-month-old baby and stabbing of her husband and 16-year-old daughter. Bland was facing charges for aggravated manslaughter and first-degree attempted murder.
“This was a bench trial. It’s time to impeach this judge,” Uthmeier said in an X post. “My office will be drafting articles of impeachment, and we look forward to working with all legislators who will support.”
Uthmeier’s post was in response to a news reel of Bland hearing the verdict and a subsequent interview.
“God is good. This doesn’t bring back my daughter,” Bland said following the verdict. “I’m thankful. I love my children.”
Bland’s attorney, Larry Handfield, argued that the mother of six was experiencing a psychotic episode that was triggered by COVID-19 when the incidents occurred in 2021. Bland was reportedly trying to “baptize” her family members who were also sick, and was saying, “Jesus Christ is coming and COVID is going to kill us all.”
State Prosecutor Elizabeth Utset rather argued that Bland was lashing out at her husband for infidelity, something the mother referenced in alleged statements to law enforcement.
“It’s odd behavior, judge, it is, but it’s not legal insanity,” Utset said during the trial. “The voices and the COVID psychosis are a fabrication and an embellished story.”
Prosecutors added that while Bland could have been suffering from mental health problems, she was aware of what she was doing.
Bland’s husband, Evan Bland, testified in the trial that his wife was acting abnormally on the day of the baby’s death. Evan said he and his wife are both victims.
Handfield argued for Bland that “there’s so much we don’t know about COVID.” He added that the case was “groundbreaking” because it was the first time COVID-19 was used as a defense in a murder trial.
“That theory doesn’t make sense to me that she decided to do all of the things that she did: going to all the neighbors, calling her family members, putting the kids in the water, all of it because she was angry due to some perceived infidelity,” De La O said after hearing the state’s argument.
Despite pleading psychosis, Handfield said he is not seeking to have his client institutionalized, arguing that psychological evaluations found such an action unnecessary.
MAN ARRESTED BY REFLECTING POOL SAYS HE’LL CONTEST OBSCENITY CHARGE
Precious Bland will appear for a status hearing on Thursday to determine the conditions of her release.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Uthmeier’s office for comment.