A Manitowoc woman and alleged child abuser is still without a lawyer.
Court records show that 37-year-old Erica Garcia was inside a Manitowoc County courtroom on Monday (March 23rd) for her initial appearance as she faces one felony count of Child Abuse, Intentionally Causing Harm, and one count of Disorderly Conduct.
At Monday’s hearing, it was revealed that Garcia was not given notice that she did not qualify for the Public Defender program, leaving her without legal counsel in her case.
Due to this miscommunication, Judge Mark Rohrer moved to adjourn the initial appearance, allowing time for the 37-year-old to find a lawyer to represent her.
Garcia was arrested earlier this month after Manitowoc Police received a call about a woman who was highly intoxicated and beating her child.
When speaking to the police, the victim, Garcia’s child, would corroborate the story of the witness, prompting authorities to take Garcia into custody.
She will now return to court on May 18th for her adjourned initial appearance in Branch 1.
