THE defendants who were allegedly involved in the beating of a 12-month-old baby girl who died after being comatose for more than a week in September have made a motion to disqualify prosecutor Clyde Lemons from the case.
The baby’s cousin, Christopher John Gebhart, 22, of Mangilao, and the baby’s mother, Valorie Pangelinan Santos were charged with child abuse and family violence.
Gebhart, who is a convicted sex offender, is facing additional charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault in the case.
Gebhart is the boyfriend of babysitter Sharika Ann Meno Pangelinan, who is also charged with child abuse as a third degree felony.
The attorney for Santos and Gebhardt, John Morrison with the Alternate Public Defender’s Office, said Monday in court that Lemons had represented Santos in a previous case when he was working for APD.
“[Lemons] was not assigned to her, but he made some appearances in court on her behalf,†said Morrison.
The parties were in court Monday to have a hearing on a motion to sever, made by Morrison in order to have one of his clients tried separately from the others.
But since he filed the motion to disqualify that morning, Judge Alberto Lamorena did not hear the motion to sever, and said he would schedule the hearing for the latest motion.
He did not say when the hearing would take place.
