Prosecutors seek to delay trial of judge charged in son's hot-car death

Suspended Garland County Circuit Judge Wade Naramore
Suspended Garland County Circuit Judge Wade Naramore

Prosecutors have filed a motion to delay the trial of suspended Garland County Circuit Judge Wade Naramore, who is charged with negligent homicide in his toddler son’s hot-car death.

In the Garland County Circuit Court filing dated Tuesday, the state is seeking to continue 36-year-old Naramore's trial based on a number of what it said are complications, including witness testimony and attorney arrangements.

Those include that the current trial date of June 14-17 does not allow “adequate time” for the prosecution to interview a witness being called by the defense and that one of its own witnesses is unavailable to appear during the trial as it is currently scheduled.

Another variable is the replacement of Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Charles Finkenbinder, who was reassigned late last week to fill a vacancy left opened in Jonesboro, the document states.

The state argues in its motion that such a change makes it “impossible for the two deputy prosecuting attorneys now assigned to this case to adequately prepare for the trial.”

A suggested trial move to late August or October is requested in the filing.

Naramore pleaded innocent in March to the death of his 17-month-old son, who was left unattended in a car in Hot Springs on July 24, 2015, for about five hours on a day when outside temperatures reached between 97 and 98.1 degrees, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette previously reported.

The toddler's core temperature was 107 degrees at that time, Garland County Coroner Stuart Smedley said in a police report.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Naramore was still set to appear in court at 10 a.m. Friday for an omnibus hearing, according to the circuit clerk's office.

Naramore's attorneys Erin Cassinelli and Patrick Benca sent a joint response to the prosecuting attorney later in the day, which stated that the prosecution "has had almost a year since this incident to prepare its case and provides no reasonable excuse to justify a continuance."

Read Wednesday’s Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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