DeSantis Fumes Over COVID Insanity Ruling

A Florida mother just walked free after drowning her baby, thanks to a judge accepting a COVID insanity excuse that has even Ron DeSantis fuming.

Story Snapshot

A Miami judge found a mom not guilty by reason of insanity after she drowned her 15‑month‑old.
The defense claimed a rare COVID‑related psychotic break, with no past mental illness on record.
Prosecutors said the story about “COVID voices” was fabricated and tied the killing to infidelity.
Experts say COVID psychosis is real but extremely rare, raising fears that this verdict sets a risky new precedent.

Judge Accepts COVID Psychosis, Mother Avoids Prison

Miami‑Dade Circuit Court Judge Miguel de la O ruled that Precious Leslie Bland was not guilty by reason of insanity after she admitted to drowning her 15‑month‑old daughter in a bathtub and attacking her husband and oldest child in 2021.^[1] Bland chose a bench trial instead of a jury, and the judge agreed that she did not understand the nature of her actions at the time of the killing.^[2] As a result, she will not serve traditional prison time for her baby’s death.

Defense lawyers argued that Bland suffered a COVID‑related psychotic break that temporarily made her insane.^[1] Bland reportedly told police she needed to baptize her family because COVID‑19 was going to “kill us all,” and that Jesus Christ was coming.^[4] In court, the judge said there was “zero credible explanation other than her psychotic state,” a statement that locked in the insanity ruling and cleared her of aggravated manslaughter and attempted murder.^[2]

Inside the Competing Stories: COVID Voices or Jealous Rage?

Bland’s husband testified that his wife was not acting normal before their daughter died, describing strange religious behavior and fear that COVID would wipe out the family.^[1] Defense attorney Larry Handfield said she was “under the influence of delusion” and could not understand her actions, painting her as another victim of a rare brain reaction to the virus.^[2] Bland herself confessed to drowning her daughter while claiming she was trying to baptize everyone to save them from COVID.^[3]

Prosecutors fought that narrative hard and said COVID “is not the issue in this case,” arguing there was no clear proof the virus made her kill her child.^[1] They said Bland told the baby to “stop breathing” while holding her underwater, which to them showed she understood what she was doing and was not insane.^[3] The state pushed an alternative motive, claiming the attack was driven by anger over infidelity, not a sudden medical breakdown, and accused Bland of using “embellished and fabricated” COVID voices to dodge responsibility.^[3]

A First‑of‑Its‑Kind Defense Meets Rare Medical Science

Attorneys in the case said this was the first successful COVID‑related psychosis defense in the country, a milestone that alarms many people who worry about copycat claims in future violent crimes.^[2] Medical research does show rare cases of new‑onset psychosis linked to COVID‑19 infection, including delusions, hallucinations, and confusion that can last days or weeks, but the overall numbers are very low.^[10] Even mental health experts stress that psychosis after COVID is unusual and mostly reported in small case studies.^[12]

Studies on COVID and the brain discuss possible causes like inflammation, blood clotting, and immune reactions that may lead to hallucinations and other severe symptoms.^[14] Some reviews suggest the virus might trigger psychotic behavior in vulnerable people, but they also warn that current evidence does not prove a clear cause‑and‑effect link.^[15] That makes this verdict stand on shaky ground: the science supports that COVID psychosis can happen, but it does not yet show that COVID alone explains acts as extreme as drowning a child.

Public Outrage, Legal Risks, and DeSantis’ Tough Talk

The victim in this case was just 15 months old, and that detail has fueled intense public anger, especially as people learn Bland will not face a standard prison sentence.^[4] Social media posts have blasted the verdict as “outrageous,” with many users attacking the judge’s decision and warning that dangerous criminals can now claim COVID insanity to escape punishment.^[8] That kind of online backlash reflects a deeper fear that the justice system is bending toward trendy medical defenses and away from clear accountability when children are killed.

The full affidavit of 43 yo Precious Leslie Bland. pic.twitter.com/8pFzSO822c

— Southern FFA Family (@FFAFamily) June 24, 2026

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has already shown he is willing to go after judges when their rulings put children at risk, as seen when he urged impeachment of a judge who freed a convicted sex offender later accused of killing his five‑year‑old stepdaughter.^[8] This new insanity verdict fits the same pattern that worries many conservatives: a legal system quick to accept novel excuses, a media class eager to frame killers as victims, and a growing sense that the state protects criminals more than families. For parents and grandparents who care about law, order, and innocent life, the Bland ruling is not just a local story—it is a warning shot about where the system may be heading next.