Prayer parents Leilani, Dale Neumann ordered to face separate trials in daughter Kara’s death
Separate trials will be held for the town of Weston parents who face charges in connection with the death of their 11-year-old daughter, whom they treated with prayer rather than traditional medical help.
Dale and Leilani Neumann both face second-degree reckless homicide charges in the March 23 death of their daughter, Madeline Kara Neumann. A coroner’s report said Kara, as she was known, died from complications of untreated diabetes.
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Marathon County Circuit Court Judge Vincent Howard on Monday ordered Leilani Neumann’s trial to begin May 14 and Dale’s on July 23. Both are scheduled for seven days.
The separate trials comes as somewhat of a surprise because prior court hearings for the Neumanns were held jointly. Attorneys for the Neumanns and prosecutors are not discussing the case publicly because of a gag order issued by Howard.
Howard, who refused earlier this month to dismiss the charges against the Neumanns, will preside at the trials.
The Neumanns claimed the charges violate their constitutional right to religious freedom.
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