Trial date set in Patricia Wick case

Patricia Wick, a former Carrington day care owner who's accused of murdering an infant child, was back in court on Wednesday, Oct. 25.

Wick has pleaded not guilty to murdering a 5-month-old infant child in September of 2022 after an autopsy ruled the cause of death to be blunt force trauma to the head and neck.

She also pleaded not guilty to child abuse after a 6-year-old allegedly suffered a broken arm while in her care, and to a misdemeanor charge for operating a child care home without a license.

Wednesday's hearing at the Foster County Courthouse in Carrington, N.D., was a pre-trial conference to determine the date for an eventual jury trial to begin.

The entire hearing lasted only a few minutes, just long enough to schedule the trial to begin early next year on January 29, 2024, and last for two weeks.

The stakes of a jury trial are high for Wick, as the maximum penalty for Class AA felony murder in the state of North Dakota is life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Additionally, the felony child abuse charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment, a fine of $20,000, or both. The Class B misdemeanor charge, meanwhile, carries a maximum penalty of 30 days imprisonment and/or a $1,500 fine.

As of press time Wick was still being held at the Stutsman County Correctional Center. She is considered innocent unless proven guilty.

Also in court on Wednesday was Kristopher Abshere, who's accused of impregnating a 14-year-old girl in the summer of 2022.

Abshere has since pleaded not guilty to one Class AA felony charge of gross sexual imposition, and was also at the Foster County Courthouse for a pre-trial conference.

However, a trial date was not set in stone for Abshere's trial, as there was still some discussion about how long the trial would have to last.

As of press time, Abshere was still being held at the Barnes County Correctional Center. He is considered innocent unless proven guilty.