TN Supreme Court lets faith-healing conviction stand

Associated Press/February 13, 2015

The Tennessee Supreme Court has affirmed the conviction of an East Tennessee woman for child neglect for failing to seek treatment for her daughter's fatal cancer.

Jacqueline Crank had claimed she was innocent because she relied on prayer to heal the girl.

Crank was sentenced to probation after her 15-year-old daughter died in 2002.

Tennessee Supreme Court hears faith healing case involving teen's cancer death

In Tennessee it is a crime to fail to provide medical care to children, but there is an exception for those who rely on prayer alone for healing. The exemption applies only to faith healing performed by an accredited practitioner of a recognized church or denomination.

Crank claimed that the exemption was too vague to give her fair warning that she could be prosecuted. The Supreme Court held that the law was not overly vague.

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