The woman at the center of a long-running lawsuit emblematic of the debate over the right of parents to refuse established medical advice for their children was sentenced to 90 days in prison on Tuesday.
The ruling ends a high-profile 2019 case against Christina Gail Dixon, 39, who was accused of treating her daughter’s liver cancer with CBD oil.
A Clackamas County jury convicted Dixon last fall of first-degree custodial interference and two counts of first-degree criminal abuse, both felonies. Dixon represented her at trial and called her daughter, now 17, to the stand.
The case initially became a flashpoint for those seeking to protect the right of parents to override conventional medical advice, with some accusing them of “medical abduction” of the girl to ensure her condition was treated. There were too. The Oregon Department of Human Services at one point announced that after the girl’s successful surgery, its employees had received threats related to their involvement in the incident.
On Tuesday, Deputy District Attorney Brian Powell urged Circuit Judge Michael Wetzel to impose a 19-month prison sentence, saying Dixon failed to protect his daughter’s well-being “at every turn and every step of the way.”
“She put her daughter at risk of death by weaning her daughter from chemotherapy and refusing to re-engage with any type of oncological treatment in favor of CBD oil, vitamins and other homeopathic remedies,” Powell said. he said.
Kylie Dixon was first diagnosed with cancer in 2018 and underwent three rounds of chemotherapy.
The Oregon Department of Human Services became involved in late 2018 when it was revealed that Dixon was not allowing her daughter to receive medically prescribed treatment.
Prosecutors say the state then assumed custody of the girl but allowed her to live with her mother, who continued to ignore medical advice.
Dixon fled with her daughter hours before her scheduled surgery in June 2019. A few days later, law enforcement officials located the girl in Las Vegas. She was returned to Oregon and placed in her foster care home.
Dixon remained on the run until turning himself in to authorities in August 2019. She was booked into the Clackamas County Jail and released the same day. She lived in Wilsonville at the time of her indictment.
The daughter underwent successful surgery in early 2020, prosecutors said.
Dixon retained attorney Greg Oliveros to represent him at sentencing.
Oliveros asked for a suspended sentence, arguing that Dixon made several legal mistakes, including firing his lawyer and not representing him at trial, but that he loved his children. Dixon broke down in tears while Oliveros spoke.
“And while maybe she made some mistakes in terms of getting treatment and proper care, I think some would argue that her love for her child clouded her common sense and judgment. ” he says.
Dixon took a minute to compose herself before addressing the court, using the time to challenge trial testimony about her daughter’s condition and accuse doctors of trying to harm her child. She accepted no responsibility for failing to provide adequate care.
Kylie Dixon did not attend the hearing. She has appeared on her mother’s Facebook page and is supporting her mother.
The judge called the case “extremely tragic” and added that it was clear Kylie would not support a prison sentence for her mother. Wetzel sentenced Dixon to 90 days in Clackamas County Jail, followed by three years of probation.
He said his decision was made in light of the girl’s childhood cancer diagnosis and the family’s suffering as a result of Mr Dixon’s clean criminal history.
Kylie’s father, Jim Dixon, 43, of Mulino, sat in the courtroom bleachers and put his head in his hands as the judge handed down the sentence.
At the end of the hearing, two Clackamas County sheriff’s deputies came forward to take Dixon into custody and handcuffed her wrists as her family said their goodbyes.
After the hearing, Jim Dixon said he supported a prison sentence for the damage caused by his ex-wife. He said he suspects he has not seen his daughter since 2020 and has not seen a doctor since the surgery.
“She needs a lot of love and help right now,” he said.
— Noel Crombie is a corporate reporter specializing in criminal justice. Please contact us at 503-276-7184. ncrombie@oregonian.
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