In an indictment filed by the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office on July 15, 2022, Guiding Hands school Executive Director Cindy Keller, Principal Staranne Meyers and special education teacher Kimberly Wohlwend were charged with involuntary manslaughter, a felony. The company Guiding Hands (owned by Cindy Keller & Staranne Meyers) was also charged with involuntary manslaughter. The criminal trial was set to begin on February 28, 2023.

However, the trial was rescheduled to begin on March 3rd due to weather conditions in El Dorado county.

The March 3rd hearing was then rescheduled for April 7, 2023. This was due to Gavin Newsom appointing their public defender attorney, Kelly Babineau, to a judge position in Nevada county. Leaving the defendants, who own a 3 million dollar home in El Dorado County, without their public defender attorney.

Because of this change in counsel, the process to set a new trial start date will begin on April 7th. It will take several hearings to establish a new trial date, so it’s likely that the trial will not begin before summer of 2023. And it could be considerably longer.

What about the Speedy Trial Act of 1974? Over 4 years for an indictment? And then over 8 months after indictment, the case has STILL not been to trial?

If you feel like this is a travesty of justice (as we do), let your voice be heard by reaching out to:

Judge Mark Ralphs

El Dorado County Superior Court

Placerville Main Street Branch - Department 2

495 Main Street

Placerville, CA 95667

(530) 621-7464