It’s appearing increasingly likely the criminal cases against the four women charged in connection with alleged child abuse at the First United Methodist Church daycare will go to all the way to a trial.
Defense attorney Ben Fletcher currently represents former daycare director Abby Leach, though he’s finding her new representation due to a medical issue. Fletcher says the civil case between the families and defendants are being mediated, but there has not been a willingness from the Commonwealth to use mediation as a way to possibly come to plea deals.
Special Commonwealth’s Attorney Blake Chambers says the number of victims and their families makes finding a resolution suitable to all through mediation very unlikely.
Judge John Atkins says he doesn’t force parties to engage in mediation, but hopes they will remain open to negotiations.
Indictments against Leach and former pastor Paige Williams allege they “breached their legal duty to protect the minor children by failing to prevent former daycare workers Allision Simpson and Nina Morgan from intentionally abusing children. In each count, the victim is described as being under the age of 13 months old.
Simpson is indicted on 30 counts of criminal child abuse. All 30 counts are alleged to have happened between December 19 of 2018 and January 18 of 2019. Eleven of the counts are against the same infant and a total of eight children are listed as victims in all of the allegations.
Morgan is indicted for two counts of criminal child abuse.
Trial is scheduled for June 13 and a pre-trial conference for March 14. Chambers, without going into specifics, said he will be moving to amend the indictments against Williams and Leach.