Jan. 9 trial date set for Bend woman charged in man’s fatal dog mauling at Juniper Ridge homeless camp
(Update: Adding video from hearing)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A January 9th trial date has been set for a 38-year-old Bend woman whose three dogs fatally mauled a man at a Juniper Ridge homeless camp last July.
Deschutes County Circuit Judge Beth Bagley entered not-guilty pleas Tuesday afternoon on behalf of Jessica Rae (Charity) McCleery, who is charged with second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in the attack by three pit bull-mastiff dogs that fatally injured Joseph Keeton, 56.
An eight-day jury trial is planned and a trial readiness hearing is scheduled for Jan. 2. McCleery, appearing by video from the county jail, did not comment during the brief proceedings, other than to ask if her defense attorney could come visit her Tuesday at the jail, where she remains held on $500,000 bail.
McCleery, who also lived at Juniper Ridge, was indicted on the charges in September and arrested in October.
Last week, Bagley rejected a defense motion to allow McCleery’s release from jail to stay with a friend in Hawaii who is caring for her young son, after prosecutors revealed that the woman’s dogs previously killed other animals and bit several people, causing injuries that required a hospital visit.
Deputy DA Kyle Fleming also claimed McCleery knew her dogs were dangerous but left them unattended at the homeless camp the night of the attack. He also said McCleery was ordered not to have animals after a 2015 case in which she was convicted of second-degree animal neglect, a misdemeanor, but violated that condition several times.
