Navasia Jones, the mother accused of beating her 7-year-old daughter, created a scene in court on Monday.
This marked her second explosive outburst in connection to the tragic death of Julicia Batties in 2021.
With tears streaming down her face, the 35-year-old Jones exclaimed, “I really don’t want to hear what they have to say,” referring to her ex-partner, Julius Batties, and the grieving father of the child.
“What you say has nothing to do with me.”
Last month, she avoided appearing in court when Bronx prosecutors attempted to finalize her sentencing.
Jones had confessed to manslaughter after the brutal beating of her daughter in their Bronx apartment.
On Monday, she protested as an officer dragged her from the courtroom. “I took responsibility for my son being released,” she said, following her first outburst which came after both the father and grandmother of Julicia confronted her.
“I don’t care what you have to say,” she yelled, while Jones challenged, “Do you have evidence that you killed my daughter?”
The heated exchange continued with the judge. “I don’t want to hear them,” she told Bronx Supreme Court Judge Joseph McCormack. “I’m not interested.”
Despite her objections, the judge allowed Julius Batties and his mother, Yolanda Davis, to speak.
“Okay, but that doesn’t mean I have to listen to them,” Jones retorted before court officers took her away.
The hearing is set for June 23rd, during which the judge may reconsider the agreed sentence.
Tragically, Julicia’s brother, Paul Fine Jr., has also faced charges related to her death. He reportedly punched her eight times before being released in March following their mother’s plea deal.
The community was shaken when Julicia’s battered body was discovered on August 10, 2021, leading to criticism surrounding the oversight of city child services.
Although the Administration for Children’s Services had previously intervened, removing Julicia from her mother’s custody at birth, she had been returned shortly before her death despite an evident history of violence.
In a poignant statement read in court on Monday, Yolanda Davis expressed heartbreak, stating, “I feel like she didn’t deserve to be killed.”
Her statement conveyed a deep sense of injustice, arguing Jones deserved far more than a 15-year sentence for taking an innocent life.
Nevertheless, Jones displayed no remorse and insisted, “I don’t feel sympathy for you all,” as she audibly challenged those who confronted her.
Her attorney, Edward Sapone, later acknowledged that Jones’s emotional outburst could adversely affect her case. “Miss Jones was asked to make a statement, and in her statement she said the court was not satisfied,” he commented.
