Tentative trial date set in Bessemer abuse case

By RICHARD JENKINS

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Bessemer — A Bessemer woman will have one more chance to take a plea deal and avoid a trial on child abuse charges after her final pre-trial hearing in Gogebic County Circuit Court was adjourned Wednesday.

Kayla Marie Brown, 26, is charged with one count of first degree child abuse, two counts of second degree child abuse and one count of unlawful imprisonment. All four counts are felonies, with first degree child abuse carrying a potential maximum sentence of up to life in prison.

With both sides in the case unable to reach an agreeable plea deal, Gogebic County Circuit Judge Michael Pope adjourned the case until Oct. 10.

“Normally (today) would be the deadline for the parties to enter into a plea agreement and we’d set the matter for trial,” Pope said. “But given the current court calendar and when a trial date would likely occur in this matter, I don’t see any harm in extending the final pre-trial for an additional period of time.”

If no plea deal is reached by Oct. 10, the trial will start Dec. 3. If it happens, the trial is scheduled to take five days.

Brown is accused of abusing her then-7-year-old son, and failing to stop Matthew LaPlant, 37, from abusing the child while they lived together.

A jury found LaPlant guilty of two counts of second degree child abuse and one count of unlawful imprisonment Friday.

“The accusations (against Brown) are similar, but not entirely the same (as the LaPlant case),” Gogebic County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Tracie Wittla told the Daily Globe after Wednesday’s hearing.

Court documents listing the charges accuse Brown of, “Hitting child with a belt, placing child in a dog kennel … and not intervening when Matt LaPlant punched child in the nose, forced child to have urine-soaked underwear in his mouth, hit child with a shoe and a belt.”

The charges also claim she called the child various insults.

Brown is out on bond, according to Wittla, while she is awaiting trial.