After the prosecution made their remarks, prior to Carter’s sentencing, her defense attorney, Cataldo spoke as well. He noted Carter’s past struggles with bulimia, anorexia, and depression. Quite frankly, Carter’s prior battles with mental illness should have been all the more reason for her to help Conrad live, not manipulate him into committing suicide.
The case of Michelle Carter has engendered some Americans to inquire as to whether or not her text messages are protected under the 1st Amendment which allows freedom of speech. Carter’s lawyer, Cataldo touched on this point multiple times as well, citing her behavior as “just speech.” What people must understand is the reality that freedom of speech does not absolve one from the consequences of their speech.
Some people have argued that Conrad could have simply chosen not to get in the truck and disregarded Carter’s words. What they fail to take into account is Conrad’s struggle with depression, which has been diagnosed as a mental health disorder. Conrad was not functioning at the same mental capacity as your average adult. He deliberated many times before ending his life and Carter, taking advantage of his fragile mental state, goaded him, even going so far as to tell him to get back in a truck filled with carbon monoxide so that he could die.
