Woman gets 70 years for starving children

JONESBORO, Ga. --- A Lovejoy mother has received the maximum sentence of 70 years in prison for nearly starving her twin sons to death when they were 13 months old.

Clayton County Superior Court Judge Deborah Benefield issued the sentence for 25-year-old Tessa Zelek on Monday.

Clayton District Attorney Tracy Graham Lawson said Ms. Zelek must serve at least 52 years. She was convicted Oct. 1 of two counts of cruelty to children, four counts of contributing to the deprivation of a minor and two counts of forgery.

Ms. Zelek and the boys' father, James McCart, have been jailed since their 2007 arrests. Mr. McCart also faced up to 70 years but the district attorney said he opted to take a plea, which would carry a 15-year sentence.

Mother to serve 1 year for beating up teacher

ATLANTA --- An Atlanta mother will serve one year in prison after pleading guilty to brutally beating her daughter's high school teacher last year.

A judge sentenced 46-year-old Georgia Thornton on Monday to serve one year of her 10-year prison sentence behind bars.

Police say Ms. Thornton went to Southside High School in February 2008, upset over the failing grade her daughter, Sequita Thornton, was getting in Felecia Williams' communications class.

Police say the mother beat, kicked, scratched and punched Ms. Williams until students pulled her away.

Ms. Thornton had been charged with battery on a teacher and disrupting a public school in the incident.