THE Office of the Attorney General, through Assistant Attorney General Coleen St. Clair, is requesting the Superior Court to grant Lynn Fitial immunity to testify against Stacey Laniyo in a child abuse case.
In a motion filed in court on June 3, St. Clair said the “grant of use immunity is limited to testimony given during trial of the instant case. The witness shall be called upon to provide information necessary to protect the public interest; the witness is likely to refuse to testify or provide other information on the basis of privilege against self-incrimination.”
Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho will preside over Laniyo’s jury trial set for Monday, June 14.
Laniyo, 37, is one of the two women arrested for the death of a 3-year-old boy in March 2020. The other defendant is Lynn Fitial, 45, the child’s mother.
The court previously granted the request of the two defendants to have separate trials.
The government charged Laniyo with one count of child abuse. The alleged abuse happened on or about March 12, 2020 when Laniyo “struck the child with a tree branch, a broom, or her hand or by biting him, resulting in injury clearly beyond the scope of reasonable corporal punishment and harming or threatening the child’s physical or mental health and well-being.”
Fitial was charged with child abuse in violation of 6 CMC 5312(a)(2), made punishable by 6 CMC 5312(c). On or about March 13, 2020, Fitial failed to provide medical care for the child, resulting in his death, the AG’s office stated.
As of Thursday afternoon, there was no additional information available regarding Fitial’s trial.
