Dad Accused of Toddler Murder Granted Permission for Hawaiian Vacation
A dad who is charged with involvement in his 2-year-old girl's death received permission from the court to go on a family trip to Hawaii.
Christopher Scholtes, who resides in Marana, asked for approval to visit Maui from May 1st through May 9th along with his spouse and their two children, mentioning they intend to reside at the home of some mutual acquaintances during their trip.
Scholtes is facing charges for one count of first-degree murder along with an accusation of domestic violence, categorized as a Class 1 felony. Additionally, he has been charged with one count of intentional or knowing child abuse, which qualifies as a Class 2 felony due to allegations that he endangered his daughter by leaving her inside a vehicle during extreme heat conditions.
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A judge from Pima County approved Scholtes' request to leave the state for a family trip. According to court papers, "There is sufficient reason to permit the Defendant's Travel Request."
As stated in the legal papers, when the request was made, Scholtes had been let out on his personal recognizance with oversight from Pretrial Services. These records further indicate that he agreed to waive extradition and was advised to get in touch with both his defense lawyer and the Pretrial Services officer once back in Arizona on May 10th.
The Pima County Attorney's Office stated, “Public records indicate that the accused and their legal representatives sought authorization from the court for an out-of-state trip. Prosecutors strongly opposed this request. Nevertheless, the judge approved the motion despite our objections.”
In March, Scholtes turned down an agreement that would have sentenced him to between 10 and 25 years for pleading guilty to second-degree murder. Currently, he is set to face a trial on the more serious first-degree murder charge, where a conviction could result in a life sentence.
Scholtes' next court appearance was scheduled for Aug. 11.
The article initially appeared in the Arizona Republic. Dad from Arizona charged with murder over toddler’s death granted permission for Hawaiian vacation
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