State A.G.'s Office Picking Up Alleged Kidnapping Plot Case
BEAVER (KDKA) -- Savanna McFarland and her sister, Andrea, were at the Beaver County Courthouse Thursday to answer charges that they, along with Danielle Jackson, conspired to kidnap Savanna 4-year-old daughter from her foster parents.
But the defense learned that the Beaver County District Attorney will no longer prosecute the case.
"Basically there was a conflict," said defense attorney Blaine Jones. "The Beaver County District Attorney's Office, one of their lawyers is a witness; so therefore, the Attorney General's Office is now going to pick up the case."
An attorney who advised the foster family and who filed the custody order on their behalf is also an assistant county prosecutor. That could be a conflict of interest at trial, so the state attorney general will now take over.
The charges were filed in September involving allegations made in June.
Jones, who represents Jackson, still contends that his client had no intention of taking part in any kidnapping attempt.
Jackson drove the alleged getaway car.
"My client's character is outstanding," says Jones. "And she has no criminal history whatsoever. This is a woman who works three different jobs, who is educated, who had no intention of kidnapping anyone. It's really preposterous quite frankly that these charges would be brought against her so we have our work cut out for us and we will be prepared to fight."
All three clients now face a hearing under the prosecution of the state attorney general in December.
The foster parents now have custody of the girl.
RELATED LINKS:
2 Women To Surrender In Bizarre Aliquippa Kidnapping Case (9/5/13)
2 Suspects In Aliquippa Attempted Kidnapping Arraigned (9/6/13)
More Beaver County News
More Reports by Harold Hayes
