Marana father charged in death of his toddler given permission to go on family vacation to Hawaii
The defendant, Christopher Scholtes, of Marana, requested permission to travel to Maui from May 1 to May 9 with his wife and their two daughters, stating they planned to stay with friends of the couple.
Scholtes faces one count of first-degree murder and domestic violence, classified as a Class 1 felony. He also is charged with one count of intentional or knowing child abuse — a Class 2 felony — after being accused of endangering his daughter by leaving her in a hot car.
A Pima County judge granted Scholtes permission to travel out of state for a family vacation. Court documents said, "The court finds good cause to grant the Defendant's Request to Travel."
According to court documents, at the time of the request, Scholtes was released on his own recognizance under the supervision of Pretrial Services. The documents also state that he signed a Waiver of Extradition and was instructed to contact his defense counsel and Pretrial Services officer upon his return to Arizona on May 10.
The Pima County Attorney's Office said, "The public record would show that the defendant and his counsel requested permission from the court to travel out-of-state. Our prosecutors strenuously objected. The court granted permission over our objection."
In March, Scholtes rejected a deal offering him a sentence between 10 and 25 years if he pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He now awaits trial on the first-degree murder charge, which comes with the possibility of a life sentence if he is convicted.
Scholtes' next court appearance was scheduled for Aug. 11.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Marana father charged in death of child gets OK to go to Hawaii
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