COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – A plea hearing has been scheduled for Monday morning in Branch County Circuit Court in the case of a Coldwater woman who was charged just over a year ago with abusing her two month old son.
27-year-old Karah Louise Shepherd was charged last year with four counts of Child Abuse and a count of First Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct. Her case was scheduled to go to trial November 7, 2017. Shepherd was arrested following an investigation by the Michigan State Police.
According to court documents, Shepherd said during an interview that she got upset with her son because of his crying. The injured baby was two months old in July 2016 when State Police were called to the Community Health Center of Branch County. The injuries according to documents included broken bones.
Her bond was set at $500,000.
Meanwhile, a court order to the Branch County Board of Commissioners, telling them to pay $4,500 in compensation to a Pennsylvania medical expert hired by the defense, did not sit well with Branch County Commissioner Don Vrablic. Vrablic expressed his unhappiness about the timing of the bill especially since funds have not been set aside and it come out of the Commissioners pockets.
Commissioners reluctantly agreed to bring the request forward to their regular meeting Tuesday.
