[patrickt]

Call your local bar association for the County/City where you ran in to this trouble and ask the receptionist for the lawyer referral service. When you call them, ask for the name of the most experienced criminal defense attorney who, preferably, started out his/her career in the District Attorney's office. Go see that attorney and hear what he/she thinks about approaching the DA to re-open your case in view of the necessity/safety of your child issue. It's a longshot, and it will require the consent of the prosecutor, so you want to find a defense attorney who has a really good relationship with the prosecutor's office. The girl who answers the phone at the lawyer referal service will know who that is. Be prepared to explain your situation to her and you might even try the old "If this happened to you when you were rushing your child to the hospital, who would you call?"