Samantha Sue Laverty of Midway, who is charged with felony counts of battery and endangering the welfare of a minor as the result of an investigation into injuries sustained by her 18-month-old daughter, entered a not guilty plea to the charges during a session of Baxter County Circuit Court Thursday.
During her court appearance by way of video hookup with the Baxter County jail, Laverty said she had never been in trouble and had never laid a hand on her child in any way. She also disavowed the use of drugs. Judge Gordon Webb interrupted the 20-year-old Laverty to tell her the court was not going to try her case during Thursday’s session. Laverty said while she had been in jail, her landlord had already begun the process of evicting her because she had been arrested, and she would need to find a new place to live.
The investigation into the infant’s injuries was launched September 11th when the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office received a call from Baxter Regional Medical Center regarding suspicious injuries to a young female child.
The child was later transferred to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, where she was treated for a broken femur. The medical staff at Children’s also expressed “great concern” for the multiple bruises on the child’s face.
In addition to her injuries, the child tested positive for high levels of amphetamines, methamphetamine, cannabinoids and THC in her system. Staff at Children’s Hospital reported the amount of methamphetamine present was 150 times more than is required to show positive in the body.
Laverty told investigators a number of conflicting stories of how the injuries might have occurred. According to the probable cause affidavit, the little girl’s injuries were not consistent with the various stories laid out by Laverty.
The Arkansas Department of Human Services, Division of Children and Family Services, participated in the investigation.
Laverty is in the Baxter County jail with bond set at $25,000. She is scheduled to reappear in circuit court November 29th.
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