The felony case against a Centralia woman accused of spanking a child she was babysitting hard enough to leave bruises in 2017 was refiled in Lewis County Superior Court on Tuesday.
The case, consisting of one third-degree assault of a child charge, was initially filed in April 2019 but was dismissed by a judge without prejudice — meaning it can be refiled in the same court of law.
The case went to the state Court of Appeals before it was returned to Lewis County Superior Court, according to Deputy Prosecutor Will Halstead.
The refiling documents did not include information on why the case was originally dismissed.
At the time the assault allegedly occurred, the victim was 4 years old and the defendant, Mary T. Walker, was 24.
Walker is now 29.
All parties agreed Tuesday to allow Walker to remain out of custody on her own personal recognizance for the duration of the case.
Her arraignment hearing was scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 13.
