Woman pleads after putting dog collar on 12-year-old

Michael Moser, Crossville Chronicle, Tenn.
·6 min read

Aug. 9—A woman charged in 2019 with placing a dog collar on a 12-year-old girl and leading her around the house, choking the child, pleaded guilty in Cumberland County Criminal Court last week.

Her attorney asked that a judge sentence her at a hearing set for Oct. 1.

Dara Kinsey Smith, 36, entered a guilty plea to the single-count indictment charging aggravated assault. She is facing three to six years in prison for the Class C felony as a Range 1 offender.

Any sentence she receives will be at 30% as outlined by state law.

The plea is being held in obeyance until a judge determines the manner in which the sentence will be served. Options include full probation, split confinement of some time to serve and some supervised probation or serving the sentence in jail.

Mitigating and enhancing factors will determine how the sentence will be served and the length of time.

The case was investigated by Cumberland County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Jerry Jackson, Investigator David Bowman and CAC investigators Kelly Garrison and Abby King. The offense date listed on the indictment is Feb. 22, 2019, and the indictment was handed down in August of that year.

Assistant District Attorney Philip Hatch outlined in a statement of facts that indicate the probability of conviction was high and evidence would show that Smith placed the dog collar tightly on the child's neck, causing injuries.

The Tennessee Supreme Court's ban on in-court hearings and trials during the COVID-19 slow down of the court system delayed the case.

In other action on the docket, the following took place:

Deadline docket

—Patrick Deshaun Angel, two counts of domestic assault, continued to Nov, 9.

—Thomas Mack Arnold, first-degree murder, continued to Sept. 21 for motion hearing.

—Johnny Wayne Bell, theft of property of $1,000 to $2,500 and vandalism of $2,500 to $10,000, forfeiture and capias issued for failure to appear in court, ten days in jail and ordered held for bond hearing.

—Patrick Douglas Breeding, violation of an order of protection, continued to Nov. 9.

—Eddie Maurice Brumbelow, reckless endangerment and sixth offense driving under the influence, continued to Nov. 9.

—Jessica Lynn Burns, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, continued to Nov 9.

—Isaac Houston Butler Jr., home improvement fraud of up to $2,500 and theft of property of $2,500 to $10,000, bond set at $10,000 and continued to Sept. 8.

—Michael Steve Cardin, aggravated assault and failure to render aid to a crash victim, continued to Sept. 21.

—Donald George Carter, two counts of theft of property of up to $1,000 and theft of merchandise of up to $1,000, forfeiture and capias issued for failure to appear in court, ten days in jail and ordered held for bond hearing.

—James Edward Carter Jr., three counts of theft of merchandise of up to $1,000, burglary two counts of theft of property of $2,500 to $10,000 and theft of property of $1,000 to $2,500, continued to Sept. 8

—Jacklyn Chelsea Crabtree, third offense driving under the influence, continued date to be set.

—Andre Vinccent D'Agostino, rape of a child, continued to Sept. 8.

—Kelly Renee Debord, auto burglary, theft of property of up to $1,000, theft of property of $1,000 to $2,500, aggravated assault, assault, vandalism of up to $1,000 domestic assault, continued to Sept. 8.

—Gary Paul Graham, burglary and assault, continued to Nov. 9.

—Steven Lamont Green, theft of services of $2,500 to $10,000 and felony possession of a Schedule VI drug, continued to Aug. 6.

—Michael Andrew Hamby, aggravated domestic assault, continued to Nov. 9 at which time a trial date is expected to be set.

—Charles Henry Higginbotham, aggravated assault and domestic assault, continued to Nov. 9.

—Denver Grey Houston, domestic assault and violation of an order of protection, continued to Nov. 9.

—Darren Wayne Joiner, aggravated assault and domestic assault, continued to Nov. 9.

—William Russell Keaton, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and domestic assault, continued to Sept. 10.

—Jessica Lynn Layman, burglary, continued to Nov. 9.

—Donald Cordell McIntire, solicitation of a minor — rape of a child, continued to Sept. 8.

—Thomas Edward Metcalf, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, continued to Sept. 3.

—Justin Lee Oldham, vandalism of up to $1,000, vandalism of $1,000 to $2,500, vandalism of $2,500 to $10,000 and public intoxication, continued to Sept. 1.

—Robert Eugene Presley Jr., auto burglary, continued to Nov. 9.

—David Lee Queener, resisting a stop, arrest or search, evading arrest and theft of property of $1,000 to $2,500, continued to Oct. 5.

—Jacob Ian Reagan, felony possession of methamphetamine with intent, continued to Sept. 9.

—Thomas Leon Reagan, theft of property of $1,000 to $2,500 and felony possession of methamphetamine with intent, continued to Sept. 3.

—John Dempsey Rector, theft of property of $2,500 to $10,000, continued to Nov. 8.

—Jose Luis Rodriguez, felony possession of methamphetamine with intent, continued to Nov. 9.

—Pedro Lucas Santizo, rape of a child, continued to Oct. 5.

—Michael Robert Scarbro, aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and vandalism of $1,000 to $2,500, continued to Sept. 18.

—Kevin Sherrill, theft of property of $10,000 to $60,000, continued to Oct. 5.

—Ron Michael Sherrill, three counts of possession of felony methamphetamine with intent, possession of a firearm during commission of a dangerous felony and possession of drug paraphernalia, continued to Oct. 5.

—Joshua Lenon Simmons, aggravated assault and child abuse, endangerment or neglect, continued to Nov. 9.

—Robert Wayne Slagle, reckless endangerment, resisting a stop, arrest of search, evading arrest, domestic assault and reckless driving, continued to Sept. 3.

—Crystal Gail Smith, two counts of felony possession of methamphetamine with intent, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during commission of a dangerous felony and possession of drug paraphernalia, continued to Oct. 5.

—Christopher Dean Thomas, fifth offense driving under the influence, reckless endangerment and second offense driving on a revoked license, continued to Nov. 9.

—Michael S. Tomes, evading arrest and fourth offense driving under the influence continued to Nov. 9.

—Christopher Ryan Turbett, second offense driving under the influence and possession of a handgun while under the influence, continued to Nov. 9.

—Stephen Jacob Willis, felony possession of methamphetamine with intent, continued to Sept. 8.

Arraignment

—Kiley Lewis Kausner, felony possession of methamphetamine with intent, Jeff Vires appointed to represent Kausner and continued to Sept. 21.

—Jasmine Richelle Lancaster, theft of property of up to $1,000 and criminal impersonation, forfeiture and capias issued for failure to appear, ten days in jail and bond doubled to $3,000.

Motion/hearings

—Zachary Allen Lewis, post conviction petition on guilty plea to vandalism of $1,000 to $2,500, Jamey Hargis appointed to represent Lewis and motion continued to Sept. 8.

—Brandon John Prettyman, theft of property of $2,500 to $10,000 and evading arrest, Patrick Hayes appointed to represent Prettyman, motion to withdraw guilty plea to be chaged to post conviction relief petition and continued to Sept. 8.

Report with attorney

—Kyle Allen Sternquist, aggravated assault, resisting a stop, arrest or search, possession of a handgun while intoxicated and public intoxication, Public Defender's Office appointed to represent Sternquist and continued to Nov. 9.

Continued boundover

The following persons have case are pending presentation to and action by the grand jury.

—Kelly Ray Barnwell, two cases, bond set at $115,000 and continued to Sept. 10.

Michael Moser may be reached at mmoser@crossville-chronicle.com

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