DA leaves open possibility of death penalty for mother accused of tossing baby from Galveston hotel balcony Channel Jasmine Yonko, 30, who is accused of stabbing her daughter before throwing her off a hotel balcony in October, made her first court appearance on Tuesday (11/26/2024). During the status conference hearing, 212th District Judge Patricia Grady emphasized she would like to see the case go to trial within a year. First, Yonko would have to be indicted, and a Galveston County Grand Jury has yet to present the case. A grand jury must review the case within 90 days of Yonko’s arrest. Also, during the hearing, First Assistant District Attorney Kayla Allen left open the possibility the state will seek the death penalty once the case goes to trial. When asked if she thought getting such a case to trial within a year was possible, Allen acknowledged that the sheer amount of video evidence (8 terabytes) would be a challenge. According to jail records, Yonko remains in the Galveston County Jail and is held without bond. The next hearing is scheduled for late January.

Posted by i45NOW Staff Report at 2024-11-26 18:45:07 UTC