A decade-long court dispute over a child neglect case that spawned a legal battle over faith healing, ended Tuesday with two guilty convictions for the girls’ mother and friend.

Sherman and Crank say they will appeal the conviction, and the case is expected to test Tennessee state laws that allow parents to make medical decisions based on their faith.

Nearly ten years ago the mother and ‘spiritual father’ of a 15-year-old girl who died of bone cancer were charged for failing to heed advice from medical professionals and instead relying solely on faith healing.

The trial of Jacqueline Pearl Crank and her minister, Ariel Ben Sherman, has been now been set for May 8 in Loudon County Circuit Court.

More than six years after 15-year-old Jessica Crank died from cancer after failed attempts at faith healing, her mother Jacqueline is testifying about making that choice as a matter of religious conviction.

Crank now faces a misdemeanor neglect charge in the death of her daughter, after years of legal wrangling that has seen the charges move up and down the appeals process but never to trial. [video]

The state Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case of an alleged cult leader whose teenage follower died from cancer after her mother heeded his advice to rely on prayer rather than medicine.

Mother accused of child abuse for using prayer instead of medicine to heal dying daughter

Knoxnews.com, Apr. 22, 2003

KnoxNews.com, Apr. 17, 2003

WATE, Apr. 16, 2003

WKRN, Sep. 18, 2002

Knoxville News-Sentinel, Sep. 19, 2002

Knoxville News-Sentinel, Sep. 18, 2002

Loudon County News-Herald, Sep. 2, 2002

Testimony of ill girl called vital

WBIR News, Aug. 6, 2002

Judge says dying teen not up to it