A Luther woman scheduled to go on trial this month for felony child abuse has entered a no contest plea and been handed a deferred term.
Candice Elizabeth Bootenhoff, 39 at the time, was formally charged Oct. 31, 2022 in Lincoln County District Court with felony child abuse.
She was employed as a full time in-home nurse and charged following her arrest by Lincoln County deputies.
Her bond was set at $25,000 and she made her initial appearance on Dec. 1, 2022.
Appearing before District Judge John Canavan, Bootenhoff was advised by the judge her charge was an 85 percent crime. As the result of a plea bargain, she entered a no contest plea.
The judge received the plea. He deferred sentencing for a period of seven years, gave her a $100 judicial assessment, $100 VCA and court costs, pay 991 fees.
Judge Canavan ordered as a condition of probation Bootenhoff is not to have in home care during the entire time of probation. He further ordered she perform 40 hours of Community Service and she was placed on probation with Oklahoma Court Services.
No requirement to register on the Mary Rippy Act and she was ordered to report to the Probation Office and Court Clerk’s Office.
She had appeared recently before District Judge Sarah Bridge who assigned her case to District Judge John Canavan for the purposes of the trial. The trial had been scheduled for 9 a.m. Feb. 3.
Assistant District Attorney Kelly Trimble prosecuted the case for the state and Larry Lenora was Bootenhoff’s attorney.
Bootenhoff was accused on Oct. 24, 2022 at a residence in Wellston in Lincoln County of maliciously harming or threateningtoharma17-year-oldchildwhenthedefendant accepted responsibility for the care and supervision of the child by slapping the child’s hands and by carrying the child by her arms and legs.
In a probable cause affidavit, a Lincoln County investigator stated he was notified by Deputy Jimmy Brown around 4 p.m. on Oct. 25 that he had been dispatched to a child abuse complaint. The affidavit states the reporting party was located at her residence in Wellston.
He reported that Brown arrived a short time before he did and began gathering information from the woman who was the reporting party.
As he proceeded with the probe into the child abuse complaint, he states that on Oct. 27 Investigators Larry Stover and Tanner Hand at that time joined the investigation.
Later that day Bootenhoff was advised she was being placed under arrest and Deputy Ty Wiseman escorted her to the Lincoln County Jail in Chandler where she was booked in on the charge of child abuse.