Jessica Arndt wept in a Jasper County courtroom Monday as details of her 4-year-old daughter’s death were revisited, and the nearly 2-year-old case was again postponed.
District Court Judge Richard Clogg approved a motion for continuance on behalf of the defendant, Jena M. Wright, 26, who did not appear with counsel Monday.
Wright is charged in the 2013 death of Jordyn Arndt, who was allegedly left unattended with an American Staffordshire terrier at a Prairie City home. According to the initial police report, Wright was babysitting the girl at the time of the animal attack, April 22, 2013, which caused injuries ultimately resulting in the child’s death. Wright pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Judge Clogg said he “didn’t have any other choice but to grant the motion for continuance,” after defense attorney T.J. Hier detailed a situation in which an expert witness on canine behavior was injured and unable to travel from Los Angeles for a trial at this time.
The trial was previously scheduled for March 18, after more than a dozen continuances from both the state and defendant.
Ron Berman, the expert witness “is essential to adequate defense of this case,” Hier said.
“I find it extremely rare for a case to ever exist beyond two years, and two months from now will be the two year anniversary of this little girl’s death,” said Kelly Bennett, Jasper County assistant attorney. “The defendant has had almost two years to find an expert witness and it wasn’t until the last couple of months this was done.”
In December, Clogg gave his approval to allow a canine expert's testimony at the trial. Last month, the defense's same expert witness needed more time to prepare for the trial, resulting in a delay, according to court records.
Bennett questioned the validity of Berman’s testimony as an expert in behavior of dogs.
“There is no question about the behavior of this particular dog,” Bennett said. “Two years ago this dog ripped the throat out of a 4-year-old little girl.”
The only issue is the behavior of the defendant — and the defendant’s actions, what she did or did not do — knowing at that point in time of the previous behavior of the dog.”
However, Hier said her expert might be able to shed some light on whether or not the death “was foreseeable.”
“All of our interests here in Jasper County are just as important and compelling as the interest of the defendant who should be sitting in that empty seat next to her attorney, but for some reason has somewhere else better to be today,” Bennett said.
Clogg said the court does sympathize with the victim’s family.
“If I had any other choice I would deny the motion, but I just don’t think I have any other choice but to grant the motion,” Clogg said, adding that he wanted the case brought to trial as soon as possible.
“The court is not going to let this thing languish on for another four or five months. This has got to be done, and done soon,” Clogg said.
Clogg asked that Hier keep the court informed about Berman’s condition. A new trial date was not immediately scheduled.
Contact Abigail Pelzer at 641-792-3121 ext. 6530 or apelzer@newtondailynews.com