FAYETTE COUNTY — A 23-year-old Vandalia woman has been found mentally fit to stand trial for allegedly causing permanent disability to her infant son when she threw him to the floor.
(Source: VPD)
According to Fayette County State’s Attorney Josh Morrison, prosecution of Aubree Hammer will now move forward, after Judge Don Sheafor found probable cause during a preliminary hearing Thursday.
A bona fide doubt had been raised as to Hammer’s mental fitness to stand trial on the Class X felony charge of aggravated battery to a child under the age of 13 causing great bodily harm of permanent disability.
Court records say Hammer held her infant son head high and threw him to a wooden floor causing the baby brain damage.
Defense counsel had earlier filed a motion for a fitness evaluation on Hammer and the fitness exam conducted by Dr. Daniel Cuneo found Hammer mentally fit.
The case is now scheduled for a December 8, pre-trial hearing, with a tentative date of January 3, 2017, set for a jury trial in the case.
Hammer remains in the Fayette County Jail, with bail set at $1 million.