Tabitha Gainey
March 3, 2005
South Carolina vs. Christopher Pittman
A matter of great concern for our Society that must immediately be addressed is the rapid growing number of children on antidepressants. If this number continues to exceed inevitably the amount of adolescent murders and suicides will continue to grow. This is one of the first cases of this nature, entailing a defense of a young twelve year old boy who has claimed the antidepressant Zoloft drove him to kill his grandparents Joe and Joy Pittman. Since this incident there have been similar cases throughout the nation. When Christopher Pittman was at the young sensitive age of twelve, his parents drug him thru their hostile divorce. He had an incident with his father in Florida which led to a six day stay at a psychiatric center. At that point, the child was prescribed Paxil, and was then sent to live with his grandparents in South Carolina. His grandparent’s family physician diagnosed him with only a low level depression and prescribed a starter pack of Zoloft for him which sounds harmless. However, the dosage was too high for a child of only eighty pounds. Christopher got into an altercation with a younger child on a school bus, and his grandfather threatened to send him back to his troubled home in Florida. On that same night in November of 2001, after Joe and Joy Pittman went to bed their grandson carried a shotgun into their bedroom and fired four times. He then set the house on fire and drove away with his dog.
Comprehensively investigating this trial, similar cases, and the antidepressant Zoloft, thru media as well as other resources I have concluded that Christopher Pittman was clearly unable to distinguish right from wrong due to the adverse effects of Zoloft. This little boy clearly is as much a victim as his grandparents were. It has come to be my belief that our society is not one that should convict a child of murder when he has been ambushed by a substance that destroys his ability to reason. It seems unthinkable that our justice system can even entertain holding a twelve year old to the same standard we would hold an adult. If we believe that a twelve year old has no chance of rehabilitation, then we have no hope at all for our nation’s future. This is a child who even after expressing complications he was experiencing after taking Zoloft had no choice but to take the medication given to him by a doctor and the adults responsible for him. Now we expect him to take the consequences of actions he had no control to prevent. The adults of this nation are responsible for its children. We do not make them suffer the consequences as an adult for the decisions we impose upon them.
Posing a problem is the fact that South Carolina had never had a case that addresses involuntary intoxication by prescription drugs. This in my opinion doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be taken seriously and heard. To be fair, each case must be heard in its individuality. The judge is there for that reason as well, not just to lean on laws and cases of past. The world is constantly changing, and we must be prepared to adjust with it. Now is the time to start investigating the perimeters of the law, so the judicial system will be prepared for the inevitable future cases similar to this one.
Two doctors testified in the defense of Christopher Pittman. One of the doctors, Lanette Atkins worked for the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice. She is a state employee that usually testifies for the prosecution. Dr. Atkins counseled with the boy for a year and half before the court proceedings and diagnosed him as having a mood disorder induced by anti-depressant medication. She testified that the child didn’t have the capacity for criminal intent and couldn’t tell right from wrong. The other psychiatrist who testified for Christopher’s defense, Dr. David Healy agreed with Dr. Atkins in that the young boy could not distinguish right from wrong while taking the large dosage of medication. Dr. Healy also testified that Zoloft and similar drugs can cause aggression and anxiety, and that can lead to violence. Christopher revealed to all of the psychiatrists he was in fact hearing voices that told him to kill these voices were described by the doctors as “command hallucinations". The prosecution’s psychiatrist, Dr. James Ballenger, believes these voices were Christopher’s own, and that the child carefully planned and committed the murders simply because he was angry. This particular doctor, although familiar with the case had not had as much counseling time with the child as the psychiatrists for the defense had. I would have to investigate further as to why it is acceptable that all the testifying doctors are not required to have the same amount of counseling sessions before giving their expert opinion, especially when psychiatry isn’t an exact science. It seems that the opinion of two doctors who spent a large amount of time counseling the child would out weigh the opinion of one doctor who had less time with the patient. The most compelling of all the particulars concerning the expert testimony is that Dr. Atkins, who usually testifies for the prosecution, took the stand for the defense. This leads one to think her findings were so strongly conclusive she could do nothing but be in favor of this young child.
Melinda Rector, Christopher’s aunt and only daughter of Joe and Joy Pittman, told jurors that she had spoken to her nephew five days before the incident. She said he spoke quickly and was unhappy about what he said the medication was doing to him. She quoted him saying, “I’m burning under my skin, and I can’t put it out." Dr. Healy identified the burning sensation that the child described as a possible result of taking Zoloft, and he identified the psychomotor restlessness the child was experiencing as one of the conditions that can precede violence. His sister who had visited with him shortly before the tragedy said her brother was unable to finish sentences, yet he would continue talking. She said her brother, who had been a shy, quiet child, transformed over night into a child who was fidgety, up and down, and unable to quit talking. These were things that were not characteristic of her brother. However they were things that both defense psychiatrists testified were adverse effects of Zoloft. It’s misfortunate that the young boy was unable to be helped before tragedy struck.
The FDA issued a “black box" warning on Zoloft and thirty two other antidepressants which is the nation’s strongest caution, short of a ban. The decision was made after being revealed in Congressional hearings that the FDA has known about problems with the drugs since 1996, but failed to take decisive action. The FDA has not yet taken any responsibility for failing to warn physicians and the public of the drugs potential dangers when the agency learned of them. Zoloft is not a drug that is recommended for children, yet it is widely prescribed by doctors to our nation’s children. The drug manufacturer is benefiting from the wide spread prescription of the antidepressants to the tune of $3.6 billion a year. It’s frightening to consider that the FDA, drug manufactures, and even our justice system could make revenue a priority over human life. More and more citizens will be forced to investigate for themselves the adverse effects of prescribed medications, because we can no longer trust our physicians, or the FDA to protect us. Until the incorrect dosages and erroneous prescriptions to children has been addressed and dealt with the justice system should be forced to consider defenses such as Christopher Pittman’s.
Christopher Pittman was diagnosed with only a low level of depression, and was initially prescribed Paxil. He had only been given a starter level of Zoloft, which was a mistake because it was to much for a boy with a weight of only eighty pounds, and the abrupt change of the two medications was obviously a dangerous combination. In my opinion these dosages of antidepressants as well as the abrupt change in them is better suited for a clinical setting. Experts say that change may have created an intense reaction that pushed Christopher past his limit. Everyone has a different chemical make up. For example, one person who tries cocaine may never become addicted and one person can immediately become addicted or even die due to their chemical make up. Depending upon the amount of the drug ingested and what a person’s tolerance or chemical makeup is greatly determines how the drug will affect them. Merely because Zoloft is so widely used and has good effects on some children doesn’t mean that it couldn’t have had such a severe adverse effect on Christopher Pittman. At the time this was a twelve year old child, whom his grandparents entrusted to their family doctor. I think it’s at least reasonable to say that was a mistake, and one that ultimately cost them their lives, as well as the rest of their grandsons.
Christopher Pittman’s trial comes after evidence uncovered from internal company documents that corroborate Zoloft and other antidepressants in the SSRI class, pose potentially lethal adverse effects for a minority of patients. In this child’s case he was taking a dosage that was much too high for him. His lawyers argue that this compromised his ability to control his angry impulses, and triggered his violent actions. A body of evidence from case reports reveals that SSRI antidepressants are turning angry, troubled children into suicidal and homicidal statistics. Recently in a similar case a ten year old boy taking Prozac killed his father like the Pittman case this little boy had been put through a hostile divorce of his parents. His grandparents now have custody of both he and his brother. Also, the Child’s grandparents presently have a lawsuit against the manufactures of Prozac.
It’s my fear that disturbing cases like these will soon become an epidemic if we as a society don’t initiate and demand a solution to protect our children. What most concerns me is the lack of therapy that precedes a child’s being prescribed such an intoxicating antidepressant. Under the best of situations most every pre-teen and teen could use therapy to better understand their emotions due to normal hormonal changes. I fear that our society has become one in search of “the magic pill", and see no need in following up with any prescribed medication with regular counseling sessions.
It’s our constitutional right as Americans to be heard in court and judged by our peers. Where are the rights of this child, because he certainly wasn’t judged by his peers? This jury consisted of nine adult women and three adult men. It seems to be universal that one generation never understands the next. As parents most of us have trouble understanding and relating to our own children, we often even look to professionals to assist us in these matters. It seems more reasonable that a panel of professionals and experts who work with children and make their living understanding and helping children would be better suited to determine the fate of such a young child. I realize it has to be difficult for the jury to understand or even give their full concentration when being presented with complex medical terminology such as the terms and vocabulary that was necessary to communicate in this case. In most cases I’m sure it would be easier presented to an audience in the medical field or at least with a medical background. It seems this would be the most just way to decide the fate of a child.
I also feel the family’s feelings in this particular case should be considered it was their family members who lost their lives to this tragedy, and their very young family member who faces the ruination of the rest of his life. This little boy’s sister, aunt, and father all pled to the jury for mercy for this child. The father begged that if his parents, Christopher’s grandparents had survived they to would be begging for mercy on the child’s behalf. From all who knew this young boy before he was put on this antidepressant, prosiest that he was not a boy who was capable of this disturbing catastrophe. This was a child who dearly loved his grandparents he was even given the nickname shadow by his family because he followed his grandfather around so frequently. He was not a child who would harm even an animal and certainly not a child who would harm someone so dear to him.
Christopher Pittman now age fifteen was found guilty of two counts of murder on February 15, 2005, and sentenced to thirty years in prison with no chance of parole. The boy’s father at present has called on Governor Mark Sanford as well as President Bush to pardon his son. I believe this to be the proper course of action. I have to trust that they would have more access to information of the drugs capabilities, and therefore be enabled to make a more educated decision in relation to the said drug. Defense attorney Andy Vickery intends to get the verdict overturned. His platform will be the Eighth Amendment argument, which is based on evolving notions of decency in society. The supreme court of the United States says that the best barometer of civility is what state legislatures is saying- we don’t try twelve year olds as adults, even for murder.
The fact that children are being prescribed adult antidepressants is so new I think a large majority of society has had trouble accepting that a little pill could bring a child to such destructive violent behavior. In part, the trouble they’re having with acceptance is disbelief, but I also I think fear is a motivating factor as well. What is disturbing to onlookers is that a child of divorce and angry with his caretakers is a common American tale. I’m sure to the majority it does seem to be the old “the devil made me do it," defense. We are simply uneducated in the facts of all the new antidepressants and their potential threat. It’s much easier for society to trust in physicians and the FDA than to believe that we have become this hung up on the quick fix and easy way out in a desperate hope that a tiny pill will repair all of our problems. There are those that are in support of the prosecution in that the twelve year old knew what he was doing was wrong. Antidepressants are new enough that most do not understand them well enough to realize they are physically affecting the serotonin in the brain causing a powerful mind altering effect. If we believe the drug can affect our actions to the exceptionally good, then we must embrace that they can also effect our actions to the extremely bad. We are now hearing more and more cases of young children committing suicide and murder than we ever have heard of in the past. Have our children become this wicked for no apparent reason? Not at all, the answer is that never before has such a mind altering drug been so widely and thoughtlessly prescribed to our children.
I am not a person who is against medications for children I do understand that they can be very helpful. I just strongly believe that once being put on any medication the child should be closely monitored by family and physicians. My own son started displaying signs of ADHD when he was nine years old. Presently at age twelve he is taking Strattera, which is a selective noncontrolled norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor. We put him on this medication after dietary changes, counseling and tutoring did not work. We took the advice of not only our medical doctor but a psychiatrist who specializes in education disabilities of children, and he was the second doctor we allowed to observe our son. He was first given a dosage that was meant for a child of half his weight, baby steps were taken in administering this medication to our son so that we could closely watch the effects it would have on him. For us medication was the last option, but to our relief it has helped our son a great deal.
I feel certain this isn’t the last we’ve heard of Christopher Pittman’s case. At some point some one will have to open their eyes to his defense and realize the help this child needs is not prison. This was a twelve year old little boy who was morning the divorce of his parents and dealing with quite a substantial move to another state, another school, and a different household with different rules. All of these are components that would severely depress and anger any twelve year old. It’s amazing he was only diagnosed with a slight depression under those circumstances in relation to his age. The frightening thing is that the answer was to medicate him with an adult antidepressant instead of trying first to council the little boy through such a trying time in his life. As parents, and society as a whole, we must accept the fact depression of adolescents is a normal part of growing into adulthood. It is not only our responsibility, but our duty to teach them how to deal with things in a healthy manner instead of clouding their brains with chemicals.
We need to ask ourselves as one of the most civilized societies in the world where has the time went when parents were responsible for the actions of their children. The prosecution argues that the child knew what he was doing. For arguments sake what if they’re right, but what if he was unable to understand that what he was doing was real and the full extent of the consequences of his actions. Children can not understand consequences unless they have been taught to them. We as parents need to understand our lives must be sacrificed for the good of our children that our very own feelings, wants, and needs must be set aside to care for the emotional needs of our children.
Probably only a year or less before the tragedy Christopher Pittman was still playing with match box cars and action figures. It seems inconceivable that at age twelve the action he took was a gun into his grandparent’s bedroom. This child was failed by his doctor, his family, society, and now by his own justice system that as child was designed to protect him. Its tragic Joe and Joe Pittman lost their lives in this heartbreaking ordeal. It seems a shame to loose their beloved grandson as well. I wonder if they could tell us now what they wanted for Christopher, if this would be the justice they would seek.
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