The 22-year-old pleaded guilty to child abuse and neglect in a 2024 attack that left lasting injuries.
MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee man who admitted throwing his 8-month-old son against a wall while playing a video game was sentenced Tuesday to 12 years in prison and seven years of extended supervision, court records and statements in court showed.
Prosecutors said Jalin A. White, 22, pleaded guilty to one count each of child abuse causing great bodily harm and neglecting a child causing great bodily harm. The case stems from a November 2024 incident that left the infant with severe head trauma and other injuries. The sentence imposes a total of 19 years in a bifurcated term, with incarceration followed by community supervision. The ruling caps more than a year of proceedings and focuses attention on the child’s continuing medical needs as White begins serving the confinement portion of the sentence.
Police began investigating on Nov. 5, 2024, after Children’s Wisconsin reported a suspected abuse case involving a baby a little over 8 months old. According to courtroom statements, White told investigators he became frustrated while playing NBA 2K and, while holding the child, threw him so that the boy struck a wall just above a bed and then fell face-first onto the mattress. “My intentions were never to hurt my baby boy,” White said at sentencing. “I want to take full accountability for my wrongs and my actions,” he added, apologizing to the court and family.
Medical records described a large skull fracture and brain hemorrhaging, along with six fractured ribs in various stages of healing and a healing clavicle fracture. The child initially required intubation; at one point he lost a pulse and was resuscitated by hospital staff, according to information summarized in court. Officials said the boy survived but now has vision issues, depends on a feeding tube, and sees multiple specialists weekly. In court Tuesday, Milwaukee County prosecutor Matthew Torbenson called the victim “one of the most innocent of innocent” and said the injuries and shifting accounts underscored the seriousness of the crime.
Detectives said White first tried to attribute the skull fracture to another adult and later said the child fell during a diaper change before admitting he threw the baby while gaming. The admission was detailed in an interview recap introduced during earlier proceedings. Tuesday’s sentencing followed a guilty plea to the two felony counts. Under Wisconsin’s bifurcated sentencing, the judge ordered 12 years of initial confinement followed by seven years of extended supervision. Conditions include continued compliance with treatment and monitoring terms set by the court. Jail credit and other routine administrative matters were handled on the record.
The case began at a home near 42nd Street and Good Hope Road, according to investigative filings. During Tuesday’s hearing, defense attorney Annette Rauch said White’s memory was “fuzzy” because he had used marijuana and pills and panicked afterward. Several relatives watched from the gallery. A courtroom photo showed White during the combined plea and sentencing, which took place two days before New Year’s. No statements were made about future civil claims, and authorities did not announce additional charges related to the earlier injuries noted by doctors.
As of Tuesday evening, White remained in custody to begin serving the prison term. The child’s long-term prognosis was not discussed in detail in court, but officials said ongoing care will continue into the foreseeable future. The next formal milestone is the Department of Corrections intake process this week, followed by routine post-sentencing filings recorded in the Milwaukee County case docket.
Author note: Last updated December 31, 2025.