Louisiana 11-Year-old Girl’s Trial Delayed by One Week
The trial for an 11-year-old Louisiana for murder has been delayed by one week after a hearing in court in Iberia Parish Thursday according to KATC.
One of the attorneys for child, Ron Haley, told 16th Judicial District Judge Roger P. Hamilton Jr. that he did have the power to release the girl, but that was denied by the judge.
Officials with the Iberia Sheriff's Office found the body of a 36-year-old man in the 4700 block of Jasper Road on Tuesday, November 14. The man died after being shot. The victim, identified as 36-year-old Kameron Bedsole.
Back in December, Both Ryan Beaulieu and Ron Haley, attorneys for the child, believe their client was used as a pawn in order to get to other family members in the case in particular the child's 15-year-old brother who was arrested Tuesday, December 5th for first-degree-murder. The children's mother, Sabrina Washington, was also arrested in connection with this case with two counts of accessory after the fact.
Haley said in the courtroom today,
The issue is that there may be substantive evidence out there that might exonerate this child. It's not that we aren't ready to go - it's that we don't have all the information to go. We don't control the information. And this is not a slight toward the state at all. But all the search warrants and subpoenas haven't come back. They don't have all the information.
He is hoping something will come out in the trial of the girl's mother and/or brother. He believes evidence will prove that their 11-year-old client is innocent.
The lawyers say the young girl was not at Kameran Bedsole's house when all of this transpired. Bedsole lived next door to the child and other family members.
Now that there is a gag order in the case the attorneys are no longer allowed to comment to the media. The same goes for anyone else associated with the case.
In court today, the defense pointed out that prosecutors had only received 1,000 pages of phone records yesterday which were then turned over to the prosecution.
An interesting turn of events in court today as prosecutor, Assistant District Attorney W. Claire Howington, said they would be adding another charge to the 11-year-old's case, that of accessory after the fact. She then added they were "open to resolving these charges" which seems to signal a possible plea bargain could be on the table.
Before going into court that morning some of the twenty family members and other supporters who showed up to lend their support to the girl spoke to the media. Her grandmother told the press the young girl is holding up and is tough. She reminded her to "continue to pray".
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Gallery Credit: Katelyn Leboff