West Plains, MO. – On Thursday, one of the individuals accused of abuse or neglect of a child while employed by the Ozark Horizon State School stood before the Howell County Court. Vernetta Burgess is one of six women charged with Abuse or Neglect of a Child under section 568.060.5(1) and Endangering the Welfare of a Child Creating Substantial Risk-1st Degree for their treatment of a 13-year old child with autism during the spring of 2022.
A disposition hearing was held on January 26th and was continued to March 9th of this year at the Howell County Courthouse. According to the Missouri Attorney General’s “The Court Process: Understanding the Criminal Justice Process”, a disposition is the “Final decision that ends a criminal proceeding by judgment of acquittal or dismissal, or sets the sentence if the defendant has been convicted.”
Thursday’s hearing was the second disposition hearing for Burgess to be held on the case. The next hearing is scheduled for March 9, 2023 at 1 p.m.
