Child's death certificate won't be part of murder trial

Rylee Mingo's death certificate will be absent at next month's murder trial of Natasha N. Hodges, and witnesses will have no room to opine if injuries relating to the child's death were accidental or purposeful.

Second District Judge Jeff M. Brudie ruled Wednesday that Mingo's death certificate would not be allowed as evidence because it could be misinterpreted by jurors as a true portrayal of what caused the child's death.

"The risk in using the death certificate is that this becomes some official endorsement ... as to the cause of death," Brudie said.

Hodges, 30, was indicted two years ago by a grand jury in connection with the death of the 2-year-old girl who, according to police, died of internal bleeding after an apparent injury to her abdomen while she was in Hodges' care. Hodges has pleaded innocent to first-degree murder. Her jury trial is set for April 10.

Nez Perce County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Sandra Dickerson argued that the death certificate should be submitted along with testimony by the Nez Perce County coroner on what a medical examiner deemed to be the cause and manner of death.

"A coroner is required to submit the cause of death," Dickerson said. "It is taken directly verbatim from the medical examiner."

In addition, she said, the coroner will testify that Mingo's death occurred in Nez Perce County.

Defense attorney Richard M. Cuddihy objected to admitting the death certificate at trial or to allowing testimony of its veracity by the county coroner. County coroners in Idaho are not required to have a thorough medical background, he said.

"I cannot cross-examine him," Cuddihy said. "He's simply stating hearsay evidence."

In addition, Brudie ruled opinions of whether the blunt-force trauma was accidental or caused by a fall or a blow would not be admissible.

Prosecutors allege blunt-force trauma caused Mingo's death. The defense has alleged in previous hearings that the child died from a medical condition.

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Bartholdt can be contacted at rbartholdt@lmtribune.com or (208) 848-2275.