LARNED – On Thursday, longtime Larned State Hospital resident, Irene M. Marshall, 65, entered a plea to one count of battery of a mental health employee in exchange for the dismissal of additional battery charges. She had been scheduled for separate jury trials on Sept. 4-5 and Sept. 12-13.

The charge to which she plead occurred in 2014 when she was a patient at Larned State Hospital, Pawnee County Attorney Douglas McNett said. The cases had been delayed several times due to competency concerns and evaluations associated with her defense of mental disease or defect.

Before accepting the plea, Pawnee County District Judge Bruce Gatterman questioned Marshall about her understanding of the charges and her legal rights, McNett said. The defendant acknowledged to the court she wished to enter to the plea to avoid the potential of a longer sentence. Marshall has been in the custody of the Topeka Correctional Facility since July 8, 2018, as a result of a 2013 criminal threat.

Following the plea, defense counsel requested a waiver of the standard pre-sentence investigation and to proceed directly to sentencing, McNett said. The state had no objection and stipulated to the defendant’s known criminal history.  

Gatterman accepted the waiver and sentenced the defendant to 29 months with the Kansas Department of Corrections to be served consecutive to her criminal threat sentence.