Child abuse suspects get own trials

A Baton Rouge couple accused of abusing their 20-month-old son in 2009, including allegedly leaving a burn mark from a fork on his body, will be tried separately, a judge ruled Monday over a prosecutor’s objections.

Steven Staggs, 29, the boy’s father, and Charlotte Staggs, 25, the child’s stepmother, are scheduled to stand trial Oct. 22 on one count each of second-degree cruelty to a juvenile, which carries up to 40 years in prison.

Prosecutor Charles Grey said he is inclined to try Charlotte Staggs first, on Oct. 22. Steven Staggs would be tried at a later date that has not been set.

Grey argued at a hearing Monday that Steven and Charlotte Staggs do not have “antagonistic defenses” and should be tried together.

“Severance is not warranted,” he told state District Judge Mike Erwin.

Charlotte Staggs’ attorney, Stephen Sterling, countered that antagonistic defenses are anticipated, which he said warrants the couple being tried separately.

“It would prejudice both (defendants) if they try this case together,” Sterling argued in support of his motion to sever the prosecution of the couple.

“I’d rather err on the side of severance,” Erwin said. “One of them’s going to blame the other for sure.”

Steven and Charlotte Staggs, 8717 Granite Drive, previously rejected the state’s offer to plead guilty in exchange for 25-year prison terms, East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore III has said.

East Baton Rouge Parish sheriff’s deputies arrested the couple Aug. 28, 2009, after deputies were called to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center to investigate a suspected child abuse case, an affidavit of probable cause said.

The boy was brought to the hospital that day after swallowing a bottle of fingernail polish remover, the affidavit stated. He was malnourished and dehydrated, had bruises and scrapes on his body and a burn mark from a fork on his body, the affidavit said.

Grey has said the boy is in the custody of his maternal grandmother.

Comments

1) Comment by MissCotillion - 02/10/2012

This is nothing but pointless posturing by the district attorneys office. Charles Grey hasn't tried a case in decades. Decades. And he will not try this case, either, because he has already dragged it out since 2009, and Grey is retiring after the first of the new year. This defense attorney Stephen Sterling is smart to push this case to trial because he knows the DA's office will plead it way down at the last minute. It is a great time to be a criminal defense attorney in Baton Rouge with Hillar Moore in office. That 25 year cap will go out the window in a split second.

2) Comment by tradewinns - 02/10/2012

this is another example of lawyers taking advantage of the taxpayer. are the two different trials going to split the cost of at least the defense or are the trials going to cost twice as much? twice as much of course. the taxpayer just got stuck with supporting two times the lawyers as necessary. who cares if they "blame" each other. it is one crime shared by two criminals with equal responsibilities for the crime. the sad part here is they can only get 40 years each.