A Juneau woman charged with murder was arraigned Monday, and her attorney entered a plea of not guilty.
Jamie Diane Moy Singh, 35, was indicted last week on charges of second-degree murder, manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, first-degree assault and second-degree assault. The charges stem from an alleged March 6 assault in which Mary Lou Singh, 59, suffered a head injury that resulted in her death 10 days later, according to news releases from the Juneau Police Department.
In front of a Juneau grand jury on Dec. 13, Assistant District Attorney Bailey Woolfstead stated that Mary Lou Singh was Singh’s mother-in-law, and that she suffered her head wound because she was pushed down the stairs in the course of the incident, according to the transcript of the hearing. Alcohol was a factor in the incident, police have said. This was Singh’s second court appearance, as she appeared in front of Magistrate Judge James Curtain on Saturday, according to electronic court records.
Assistant Public Defender Eric Hedland — assigned to represent Singh — reiterated in Monday’s hearing that the fatal injury was suffered from tumbling down the stairs. Hedland said that from his understanding of the incident, the victim didn’t appear to be hurt too badly at the time but then became symptomatic later on.
Singh, who turned herself in on Friday, was present in court Monday. She wore a yellow jumpsuit and a pair of glasses on her head. She spoke very little and was visibly emotional.
The hearing was in front of Superior Court Judge Amy Mead, who said the case will eventually go to incoming Superior Court Judge Daniel Schally. Hedland argued that Singh’s bail should be reduced from $50,000 to $5,000 because she still has a job, she has a fairly modest criminal record and she shares custody of two children.
Assistant District Attorney Amy Paige argued that the bail should remain the same, saying that from what she’s read in the police report, this behavior was not out of character for Singh. Mead scheduled another hearing for Tuesday afternoon to specifically address the issue of bail. The reason for the delay, Mead said, was that she wanted to bring in family members.
Mead also tentatively set a trial date for 8:30 a.m. March 4.
• Contact reporter Alex McCarthy at 523-2271 or amccarthy@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @akmccarthy.
