The woman accused of forcing her nine year old granddaughter to run until she collapsed – and died – back in 2012, is back in the news.
Attorneys for Joyce Hardin Garrard are seeking to prevent the automatic dismissal of jurors who may express opposition to the death penalty.
Garrard is accused of Capital Murder in the death of Savannah Hardin after she reportedly forced the girl to run non-stop for some three hours as punishment for lying.
The nine year old finally collapsed and was taken to a nearby hospital, where she later died.
Savannah’s step-mother, Jessica Mae Hardin, stands charged with Murder.
Both women have entered not guilty pleas.
Earlier in the year, Savannah’s father, Robert Lee Hardin, filed a suit against Gadsden Regional Medical Center, alleging that a doctor and a nurse failed to properly diagnose and treat the child, when she was brought in on February 17th of 2012.
Joyce Hardin Garrard is set to go to trial on September 22nd (2014), and another pre-trial status hearing has been set for Monday, August 18th at 1:30pm.
(al.com/www.al.com)