David Schmies.
STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) — A man suspected of serious physical abuse of a child will not go to trial next week as previously scheduled.
Court records show that a week-long trial for David Schmies was wiped from the calendar in mid-May when his defense team noted they were having difficulty finding an expert witness.
Prosecutors were hesitant to agree to another adjournment, but did so. The sides will now meet on June 5th for a status conference.
Schmies is accused of causing serious injuries to a toddler, who was hospitalized with a swollen head and poor color. Doctors later discovered several broken bones, including ribs, that were in various stages of healing and bleeding in the child’s brain. All injuries that were consistent with abuse.
The 27-year-old told investigators that the injuries occured after the child fell from a bed, but doctors noted that a fall from that height would not have caused such seruious injury.
Charges were filed in early 2022, and the case has been scheduled for trial multiple times, only to be canceled for various reasons. One change came after a new defender was assigned to the case; another involved changes to the witness list and admissible evidence.
A plea hearing was also scheduled for March 2023, but Schmies rejected the deal.
He faces up to 40 years in prison and 20 years on extended supervision if found guilty.
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