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Judge explains sentences in two controversial cases
By Kat Russell, Reporter 
The Paducah Sun
March 7, 2017
http://www.paducahsun.com/news/local/030717_PS_Clymer_Sentencing-2306430


Following the sentencing hearings of two controversial cases in February, many people were left asking why the penalties turned out so differently. 

Casside Cherry, 16, and Trevon Elmore, 18, were convicted by a jury in December on charges of first-degree wanton endangerment, third-degree criminal abuse and tampering with physical evidence, after it was determined they had discarded a newborn baby in a dumpster in July 2015.

That same month, a jury also convicted Cole Yates, 22, of first-degree criminal abuse, after a jury determined he broke a 5-month-old baby's arm.
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Judge in 'dumpster baby' case writes letter to jurors
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun
December 3, 2016

http://www.paducahsun.com/news/local/120316_PS_JudgeClymer_Letter-1724101

McCracken Circuit Judge Craig Clymer wrote a letter to jurors who decided the Trevon Elmore and Casside Cherry trial this week, responding to criticisms and thanking the jury for its service.

After a three-day trial, Elmore, 18, and Cherry, 16, were convicted Wednesday of first-degree wanton endangerment, third-degree criminal abuse and tampering with physical evidence. The jury recommended a sentence of 18 months for Elmore, and Cherry, a minor, will be sentenced in February through the juvenile system.

The teens were originally charged with attempted murder, first-degree criminal abuse and tampering with physical evidence after they left their newborn baby girl in a dumpster near Fernwood Apartments on Berger Road in July 2015.

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Jury convicts teen parents on lesser charges
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun
December 1, 2016
http://www.paducahsun.com/news/local/120116_PS_Teens_Trial_Day3-1709417


After five hours of deliberation, a McCracken County jury Wednesday night found two teens, who discarded their newborn baby girl in a dumpster near Fernwood Apartments on Berger Road, not guilty of attempted murder but guilty on lesser charges.

Casside Cherry, 16, and Trevon Elmore, 18, were charged with attempted murder, first-degree criminal abuse and tampering with physical evidence. Wednesday completed their third day of trial. 

Just before 10 p.m., the jury returned six guilty verdicts, convicting each teen of first-degree wanton endangerment, third-degree criminal abuse and tampering with physical evidence.

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Moving testimony opens 'dumpster baby' case
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun
November 29, 2016
http://www.paducahsun.com/news/local/112916_PS_Teens_Trial_Day1-1696041


"I was scared. I won't lie, I was scared," Daniel Hodge testified Monday in McCracken Circuit Court, describing the moment last year when he found a newborn infant in a dumpster behind his business.

Hodge, owner of Ligon Repair Service on Berger Road, was the first witness called by the commonwealth in the trial against two teens, who are accused of discarding the child. 

The baby was found July 30, 2015, in a dumpster near Fernwood Apartments, at Berger and Lone Oak roads, after Hodge reported seeing a young black male discard something and leave the area.

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Teenagers plead not guilty in case of dumpster baby
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun
January 8, 2016

http://paducahsun.com/news/local/010816_PS_Teen_Arraignment

The two teenagers accused of discarding a newborn baby last year in an apartment complex dumpster made their first court appearance as certified adults Thursday at an arraignment hearing in McCracken Circuit Court.

The baby's mother, Casside Cherry, 15, and Trevon Elmore, 17, face charges of attempted murder, first-degree criminal abuse and tampering with physical evidence. Both entered pleas of not guilty.

The baby was found in a dumpster behind Fernwood Apartments near Lone Oak and Berger roads on July 30 after a witness reported seeing a young black male - now identified as Elmore - discard something and leave the area.
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Teenager charged with dumping newborn could be tried as adult
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun

August 12, 2015
http://www.paducahsun.com/news/local/081215_PS_Baby_Folo

A teen facing an attempted murder charge after he allegedly disposed of a newborn infant in a dumpster may be prosecuted as an adult, McCracken County Attorney Sam Clymer said.

The county attorney said his office met with the Commonwealth Attorney's Office on Tuesday afternoon and decided they would seek to have the case transferred from juvenile to circuit court.

"We're going to be motioning to have what's called a transfer hearing, where a juvenile is transferred up to the circuit court to be tried as an adult," Clymer said.
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Teenagers in 'dumpster baby' case receive a year probation
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun 
February 10, 2017
http://www.paducahsun.com/news/local/021017_PS_TeenParents_Sentencing-2176654


The teen parents of a newborn baby girl found in a dumpster in July 2015 were given 12 months of supervised probation Thursday at their sentencing in McCracken Circuit Court.

Casside Cherry, 16, and Trevon Elmore, 18, were initially charged with attempted murder, first-degree criminal abuse and tampering with physical evidence.

Following a three-day trial in November, a jury convicted the teens on lesser charges of first-degree wanton endangerment, third-degree criminal abuse and tampering with physical evidence.

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Teen father could face 1.5 years
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun
December 2, 2016

http://www.paducahsun.com/news/local/120216_PS_Trial_Folo-1716569

After three days of trial, a McCracken County jury found two teen parents not guilty of attempted murder Wednesday night, instead convicting the teens on lesser charges.

Accused in July 2015 of discarding their newborn baby girl in a dumpster, Casside Cherry, 16 and Trevon Elmore, 18, were each convicted of first-degree wanton endangerment, third-degree criminal abuse and tampering with physical evidence.

​First-degree wanton endangerment and tampering with physical evidence are felonies, and each is punishable by up to five years in prison. Third-degree criminal abuse is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months in prison.
​
Following the verdict, the jury deliberated to decide what penalties were appropriate.

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Prosecution rests, defense begins in trial against teen parents
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun
November 30, 2016
http://www.paducahsun.com/news/local/113016_PS_TeensTrial_Day2-1702935


Jurors heard from a long line of witnesses Tuesday, including local law enforcement officers and medical professionals, as the commonwealth wrapped up its case against two teenage parents accused of leaving a newborn infant in a dumpster last year.

The teens, Casside Cherry, 16, and Trevon Elmore, 18, are charged with attempted murder, criminal abuse and tampering with physical evidence.

During Tuesday's testimony, Det. Matt Carter said Elmore was interviewed at the sheriff's department on July 30, several hours after the baby was found.

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Clymer rejects plea deal in case involving discarded newborn
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun
November 11, 2016


In what was deemed a surprising decision, Mc- Cracken Judge Craig Cly- mer rejected a plea agree- ment for two teens, who are accused of discarding a newborn infant in a dump- ster last summer, stating the case will instead go to trial.

The baby’s mother, Cas- side Cherry, now 16, and Trevon Elmore, now 18, face charges of attempted murder, first-degree crimi- nal abuse and tampering with physical evidence. Both appeared in McCrack- en Circuit

Court Thursday afternoon intending to en- ter guilty pleas.

Although the details of the plea agreement were not discussed in open court, it was clear by Cly- mer’s comments that a sticking point for him was the proposed dismissal of the attempted murder charges. 

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15-year-old mom of discarded baby 
to be prosecuted
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun

August 15, 2015
http://www.paducahsun.com/news/local/081515_PS_Mother_Charged

A 15-year-old, who was earlier identified as the mother of an infant found in a dumpster two weeks ago, was arrested Friday and charged with complicity to attempted murder, first-degree child abuse and tampering with physical evidence.

McCracken County Sheriff Jon Hayden said the girl was picked up around 11 a.m. at a Paducah residence on a “juvenile pick up order,” which is similar to an arrest warrant that would be issued for an adult suspect.

Hayden said the girl was brought to the sheriff’s department where she was “interviewed and was cooperative.” She was then taken to the McCracken County Juvenile Detention Center.

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Teen charged in abandoned 
newborn case
By Kat Russell, Reporter
The Paducah Sun

August 1, 2015
http://www.paducahsun.com/news/local/080115_PS_Baby_Folo

Less than 12 hours after a newborn baby was found in a dumpster Thursday afternoon near an apartment complex in Paducah, McCracken County detectives made an arrest.

Sheriff Jon Hayden said a 17-year-old male was arrested around 2 a.m. Friday in Paducah.

According to Hayden, the lead on the teen’s possible involvement stemmed from a call placed to emergency dispatch around 8 p.m. Thursday reporting a medical emergency at a residence near Berger Road and Goodman Drive, not far from where the baby was found.

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