(Arapahoe, WY) – The March 18 jury trial for local couple Truman and Kandace Sitting Eagle has been reset for June 10, following the acceptance of an ends of justice continuance motion, according to federal Court documents filed on February 21.
This type of a continuance is a provision that allows district courts to continue trial and exclude delay from the speedy trial calculation “if the Court finds that the ends of justice served by granting the continuance outweigh the public’s and defendant’s interest in a speedy trial.”
Court documents state the continuance was requested due to plea negotiations that are underway, which may “include the dismissal of the kidnapping count.”
While the defense has met with Truman “on several occasions” to discuss these options, he is currently in Scottsbluff and his counsel is in Casper, which has not allowed counsel to be “readily available.”
This, combined with the counsel needing time to prepare for another case, resulted in the continuance request for at least 60 days, which was ultimately accepted and the June jury trial date was set for both Truman and his wife Kandace.
The Sitting Eagles face charges for assault resulting in serious bodily injury, assault with a dangerous weapon, kidnapping and aggravated child abuse, after law enforcement reportedly discovered a juvenile in their care had been being kept from school, was locked in his room and deprived of food for long periods of time, and had been physically assaulted on multiple occasions.
The couple pled “not guilty” to the charges back in January, when the initial March jury trial was set.
Since that time, the above continuance was requested and accepted, and Kandace also wrote a letter requesting the Court to let her out of jail.
Kandace’s handwritten letter, later filed on February 20, stated that she had a “plan to get her life back on track,” which included taking various parenting classes, undergoing mental health evaluations, and solidifying a career/furthering her education.
The letter went on to say that Kandace has also “maintained six years of sobriety” and is the primary “transport driver” for her five children, before ultimately stating that she would “sincerely and greatly appreciate the opportunity to be released” so that incarceration would not affect her “transition” back into society.
Kandace’s letter supplemented her defense’s official review of detention motion, which was filed on February 5 but not made available to the public.
Assistant United States Attorney Cameron J. Cook opposed the request, Court documents state, and on February 23, an order from the Honorable Judge Alan B. Johnson was filed that ultimately denied the review of detention motion and early release.
This order stated the Pretrial Services Report recommended that “no condition or combination of conditions what will reasonably assure the safety of the community” were present to support pretrial release of the Defendant.”
The Sitting Eagles’ jury trial is currently set for June 10 in Cheyenne, before Judge Johnson.
County 10 will provide updates on this case, which can be viewed here.