New plea deal offered to dad in blow torch case
A Superior Court judge vacated an April trial date on Tuesday for a father who allegedly burned a 5-year-old boy with a blow torch two years ago.
When asked to provide an update on the status of the case, attorney Richard Parks informed the court that he had just received a revised plea agreement that his client will likely accept.
As such, he was asking that a change-of-plea hearing be set for his client be set and a previously scheduled trial be vacated.
Parks, of the
Yuma County
Public Defender’s Office, represents Stanford
Miller, who has been charged with 19 felony offenses.
Those offenses are six counts of aggravated assault causing serious physical injury, four counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and three counts of aggravated assault by an adult on a minor.
Other charges include three counts of child abuse, two counts of child abuse, and one count of aggravated domestic violence. All of the charges are also domestic violence related.
Miller remains in custody at the Yuma County jail on a $500,000 cash-only bond, previously turned down a plea offer because it stipulated to a 40-year-prison sentence.
Superior Court Judge Darci Weede, who is presiding over the case, granted both of Parks’ request and scheduled Miller’s next hearing for 8:30 a.m. on March 21.
According to Yuma police, at approximately 9:41 p.m. on May 29, 2021, officers responded to the 900 block of South 9th Avenue in reference to a report of child abuse.
During their investigation, officers found a 5-year-old boy suffering from severe injuries.
The boy was transported to Yuma Regional Medical Center and later flown to a Phoenix-area hospital, where he was reported to be in serious but stable condition.