Natchez, LA: A former employee of Noah’s Ark Daycare, who had pleaded guilty to six felony counts of cruelty to juveniles in 2022, was resentenced after Louisiana Court of Appeal Third Circuit Judge Kent Savoie ordered her previous sentences to be vacated.
Julieanne Perales and three other daycare workers, including the owner Lysa Richardson, were sentenced in the case that led to the closure of Vidalia Noah’s Ark Daycare.
The defense claimed that Perales’s previous attorney, Kevin Colbert, had a conflict of interest and provided inaccurate advice, resulting in Perales making a plea she otherwise wouldn’t have.
Based on the court transcript, it is evident that Judge Kathy Johnson from the Seventh Judicial Circuit Division A had planned to give Perales a nine-year sentence for the six counts of cruelty to juveniles. However, Johnson decided to impose three years for each count, with three counts running concurrently and the other three running consecutively.
This would have extended the sentence to 12 years instead of nine. As part of the re-sentencing, Johnson decided to impose one and one-half years of hard labor for each of the six counts, to be served consecutively. This adjustment resulted in a total sentence of nine years.
Johnson issues a new sentence for Perales on Wednesday, July 17. Perales faced charges of cruelty to juveniles after an investigation by the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office revealed an incident involving a 14-month-old child at the daycare in October 2021. The charges were initially filed on February 23, 2022.
Due to a potential conflict of interest, the case was eventually transferred to the Louisiana State Police. This decision was made after Concordia Parish Sheriff David Hedrick revealed that his son had attended the daycare in question.
Authorities discovered numerous incidents of abuse at the center after obtaining surveillance footage. Disturbing video evidence depicting acts of physical abuse against children was presented in the courtroom during the sentencing hearings.
In a significant development, Perales has admitted guilt on six counts on June 22, 2022. On September 7, she, Richardson, and Bridget Delaughter were all sentenced together. A former daycare employee named Taylor Ragonesi, who was 23 weeks pregnant and dealing with severe Crohn’s Disease, received a sentence of three years of probation and anger management classes instead of jail time.
Following the sentencing, Perales, accompanied by her new attorney, submitted a motion to retract her guilty plea and overturn the sentencing. She stated that her decision to plead guilty was influenced by the promise of a probated sentence. Her recent childbirth and desire to avoid incarceration were factors in her choice.
According to court records, both Colbert and Assistant District Attorney Austin Lipsey testified that no promises were made.
Perales claimed that Colbert failed to inform her about a potential conflict of interest, as he was also representing two of her codefendants.
Johnson dismissed Perales’s motion to withdraw her guilty plea, stating that her claims were unfounded and desperate. Savoie has ordered that Perales’s previous sentences be overturned and her case be sent back to the trial court for a new sentencing.