Seven adults charged with four felony counts of child neglect from Davenport have had their cases continued.
Jasmine Stewart, Ray Mitchum Sr., Juanita Mitchum, Joyce Mitchum, Alicia Mitchum, Rex. R. MitchumandRayMitchum Jr. all had pre-preliminary hearings on May 14. All were continued until July 9.
It’s typical for a judge to grant a continuance or two early in the court process to allow the defendants time to hire an attorney or prove they are indigent so they can be appointed an attorney, said District Attorney Adam Panter. The DA’s office also tries to keep all of the cases on the same time track so that it’s unnecessary to put on multiple hearings with the same witnesses and evidence.
The seven were taken into custody onApril26 and 27 and officially charged on April 29, according to court documents. Initial appearances were made on April 30 and May 7.
The Lincoln County District Attorney’s Office was informed of neglect concerns on April 14 by DHS Child Protective Services and the Davenport Police Department, according to Panter. They were also informed that the family was being uncooperative during multiple attempts by DHS and the PD to meet and talk with the four children who were residing in the house.
A search warrant was executed on April 16, and District 23Taskforce Investigator Tony Foreman was able to gain entry into the house. Foreman documented the poor condition of the home, noting the presence of cockroaches, flies, trash, feces and other filth.
The four children were taken into protective custody.