WYTHEVILLE – A day after they were arrested on felony child abuse and neglect charges in Pulaski County, Noah Thomas’ parents, Paul Thomas and Ashley White, appeared via teleconference for their arraignment.
Appearing from the New River Valley Regional Jail, the couple listened as Judge Bradley Dalton of the Wytheville Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court read their charges. Pulaski County court was not in session on Friday, and Dalton said they have a policy to step in and help arraign people from surrounding areas.
Dalton alerted White and Thomas that several members of the media were present in the room for the hearing - and both objected.
“This is the saddest thing that’s ever happened to me in my life,” White said. “I don’t feel people should be able to enjoy it over dinner.”
Said Thomas: “I don’t want my life to be their news story.”
Dalton overruled both objections, allowing the media to remain in the room. In Virginia, adult proceeding in juvenile and domestic relation courts are public.
When asked if the court needed to appoint an attorney, White replied that she was under the impression Jimmy Turk, a Radford-based lawyer, was “already helping” her.
“I’m not aware of that,” Dalton replied. He proceeded to give her a temporary waiver to contact legal guidance, with the possibility of having a court appointed attorney available at a later date for her. Messages left for Turk were not immediately returned on Friday.
Thomas told the judge that he had already hired an attorney. It was unclear Friday who that lawyer is.
Thomas also asked during the arraignment if he could receive bond. But Dalton replied that he “can’t get one today,” and that will have to be scheduled with Pulaski County.
Both parents will have a preliminary hearing on Aug. 12 at 1:30 p.m. in Pulaski County Juvenile and Domestic Relations court.
Thomas and White were charged on Thursday after their five-year-old son Noah was found dead in a septic tank near their house. Noah went missing on March 22, and a five-day search turned up no sign of him until authorities re-checked a septic tank near the parent’s mobile home. Their 6-month-old daughter Abigail was taken away from them last Monday, the day after Noah went missing, according to authorities.
Thomas was charged under a subsection of the law that relates to “reckless disregard for human life.” His charges are a Class 6 felony and carry with them a minimum of a one-year prison sentence and up to five years for each charge.
White was charged under two different subsections of the law. One charge, like Thomas’, relates to “reckless disregard for human life” and carries with it the same punishment. However, she is also being charged under a more serious subsection that is a Class 4 felony which is punishable by no less than two years and no more than 10 years.
That subsection involves “serious injuries” to a child that were received under an adult’s care. Those injuries, as defined by state code include: “disfigurement, a fracture, a severe burn or laceration, mutilation, maiming, forced ingestion of dangerous substances, or life threatening internal injuries.”