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.
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.