Turnells Plead Not Guilty To Charges

District Court Judge Stephen Illingworth overruled Charles and Sharon Turnells’ plea of abatement at an arraignment in Kearney County District Court on Friday, Nov. 12.
Charles and Sharon Turnell entered pleas of not guilty Friday to charges of aiding and abetting child abuse that led to the death of Sharon’s  four-year-old nephew, Landon Payne, on December 22, 2009.
Jury trials for both Turnells will be scheduled for early 2011.
The abatement pleas were filed on Aug. 16 by the Turnells attorneys, William Tringe of Holdrege and Thomas Stewart of Kearney, claiming the state did not have enough evidence to bind over the couple to district court.
The abatement pleas were overruled by Judge Illingworth in Kearney County District Court on Friday.
The Turnells attorneys Tringe and Stewart filed motions for discovery on behalf of Charles and Sharon.

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