People v. Garritson CA4/1

I.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Garritson was one of several individuals hired to care for James Oakley from

July 23 to August 22, 2012, while Oakley's mother was in Hungary visiting her daughter.

Oakley, who was 23 years old at the time, suffers from severe autism, epilepsy, and self-

injurious behavior. Oakley is also a carrier of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus

aureus (MRSA), a bacterium that can cause a life-threatening infection from a slight

break in the skin. Oakley has the cognitive ability of a child of age eight months to three

years and the motor skills of a child of age one to three years. He has never spoken, but

he smiles and laughs when happy, grimaces when in pain, and cries when in distress.

2 When Oakley becomes upset or uncomfortable (such as by hearing a loud noise or being

hungry or in pain), he punches himself in the temples or on the chin, or elbows himself in

the ribs. He does not, however, become aggressive toward others. Oakley requires

constant supervision to provide basic nutrition and hydration, to monitor his seizures, and

to prevent self-injurious behavior.

Before Oakley's mother departed for Hungary, she installed a…