Sentencing set for April 7 in Thayer case

Former childcare director Julie R. Thayer has reached a plea agreement with the 13th District Attorney’s office in a case involving charges of assault and child abuse.

Thayer appeared in Phillips County Court in Holyoke last week via WebEx video conferencing technology. Thayer was formally advised in the Holyoke courtroom on Oct. 7 and has yet to appear in person in front of Judge Kimbra L. Killin.

Thayer’s lawyer, Justie Nicol, announced during the most recent hearing last week that an agreement had been reached and that Thayer planned to plead guilty to one charge of child abuse and in return serve a two-year supervised probation sentence.

The terms of the agreement, Nicol said, involves no jail time but does stipulate there is no option for early termination of probation.

After asking Thayer a series of questions required to accept a plea, Killin filed the plea agreement with the Court and asked that a pre-sentencing investigation be completed by the probation department before sentencing.

A pre-sentencing investigation digs into the background of a person convicted of a crime before sentencing to determine if there are extenuating circumstances that should influence the sentence. It is a document prepared by a probation officer via a system of points and later presented to the Judge before a sentencing hearing.

Thayer has 60 days to follow through with the pre-sentencing investigation and appear, in person, in Phillips County Court in April for sentencing.

Charges against Thayer stem from an incident at a childcare facility in Haxtun last year. Original charges include two charges of assault in the third degree and two charges of child abuse. She resigned from the local childcare center in late September.

In the initial advisement hearing in October, Judge Killin issued protective orders for victims in the case, both minors, which prohibits Thayer from having any contact with them, or their immediate family members, throughout the duration of the case.

Thayer is expected to be sentenced in Phillips County Court on Thursday, April 7.