Three years ago, Paula Cole found herself needing diapers for her baby. The Waterloo, Iowa, mom of six decided to take her infant with her to Walmart—leaving behind the other kids: ages 5, 7, 9, 10, and 12. The time was 11 a.m.

This turned into an epic battle over the criminalization of her parenting that only recently ended at the state's supreme court. In a 16-page opinion, the court demonstrated an increasingly rare quality: common sense.

Here's what happened: While Cole was at the store, the other kids got into an argument, and the 9-year-old stomped off and paced the parking lot of their apartment complex. Her 10-year-old brother went out looking for her while the oldest child, a 12-year-old boy, stayed at home with the younger siblings. There is a conflict in the case record as to whether the 12-year-old was still asleep at the time. He was, at a minimum, "groggy."

The 10-year-old, who has autism, was upset when he failed to immediately find his sister, and so he begged a neighbor to call 911. By the time the police arrived, the 9-year-old had already returned to the stoop outside the apartment. Nevertheless, when Cole returned home, she was arrested and taken to jail for child endangerment.