Mom Says Father Who Admitted To Abuse Wont Face Jail Time

Mom says father who admitted in MCSO interview to
hitting infant won't face jail time

The mom of a boy who was physically abused by his father is speaking out after she says the
prosecutor told her he likely will not face jail time.
Melissa Hernandez was engaged to Garhett Galison, of Sun City West, when he admitted in a
pre-polygraph test that he abused their son.
Galison was taking a test for employment as a

deputy sheriff with Maricopa County Sherrif's
Office in October 2018. Galison admitted that
when he was alone with his two children, and his
son, who was 11 months at the time, would not
stop crying that he got frustrated and "slapped
his son 3 times with an open hand ... and he then
used a closed fist and punched his son in the face
twice resulting in a black eye," according to
court records.
Galison was arrested in October 2019 and

granted supervised release without bail a day
later.
Hernandez told The Arizona Republic that the

prosecutor on the case called her recently and
told her that Galison was going to be offered a
GARHETT GALISON ADMITTED TO diversion program through Maricopa County
PUNCHING HIS 11-MONTH OLD SON, and that he would not face any charges or jail
GABRIEL, IN THE FACE CAUSING A BLACK time.
EYE. (PHOTO: MELISSA HERNANDEZ)
She said she did not agree with this decision
because she felt he would have "walked away
from all of this free" and not faced any
punishment for the pain he caused the family.
Court records say that Hernandez believes her son's developmental disabilities "could be caused
from the slaps and punch in the face."
"Everything that my son has been through, the developmental disability, the PTSD that he caused
on the baby, the therapy ... none of that mattered to them," Hernandez said.
Galison will appear in court on March 4, and Hernandez will be able to tell the judge that she
does not agree with this decision.
'They belittled me as a mom'
Hernandez said it has been a struggle for her and her kids dealing with the effects of Galison's
actions. Their son, Gabriel, is 3 years old now. She and Galison also have a daughter, Madeline,
who will be 5 years old next month.
"This has been a really big

impact on my whole
family, on me and my
kids," Hernandez said.
Hernandez and Galison

were two months away
from getting married
when she found out about
the abuse.
She said she received

backlash after Galison's
arrest. She said the public
and prosecutors on the
case began to question her
MELISSA HERNANDEZ WANTS GARHETT GALISON TO KNOW potential involvement in
HOW HIS ACTIONS OF ABUSING THEIR SON HAS IMPACTED THE the abuse.
FAMILY. (PHOTO: MELISSA HERNANDEZ)
She said people were
questioning where she
was when her son was
being abused and how she did not realize.
"I am just completely mind blown that they made me look like a bad mother to his lawyer and to
everyone else involved on the legal side," Hernandez said.
She said she knows she should have opened her eyes more to the situation and has had to deal
with that on her own.
"I was a safe place for my kids. I don't feel that I should be investigated. I never laid a hand on
my kids like that," Hernandez said.
She said Galison has not had any contact with her or her kids since the arrest.
"I don't want this man to think he won me, or won my kids. I do want him to know what an
impact this has done on me and the kids. It wasn't easy to go through," Hernandez said.
Participants who complete diversion program can avoid charges
Maricopa County offers diversion programs as an alternative to traditional case processing,

allowing people accused of a crime to participate in a "community-based education or training
program that addresses behavioral change, so the individual may become a productive citizen,"
according to
the Maricopa County Attorney's Office website.
Under Arizona law, the County Attorney has the option to divert a person accused of a crime to
participate in one of the diversion programs.
The parenting-skills diversion program began in 2002 for adults in a parent or guardian role who
are accused of "using excessive child discipline."
Participants who complete the program can avoid criminal charges being filed against them,
according to MCAO.

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Mom says father who admitted in MCSO interview to

hitting infant won't face jail time

Galison was taking a test for employment as a

Galison was arrested in October 2019 and

Hernandez told The Arizona Republic that the

'They belittled me as a mom'

"This has been a really big

Hernandez and Galison

She said she received

Participants who complete diversion program can avoid charges

Maricopa County offers diversion programs as an alternative to traditional case processing,

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