Hull arraigned in infant death

A not guilty plea has been entered for a 24-year-old Post Falls man charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 7-month-old girl.

Although attorneys for Cody J. Hull asked First District Judge Scott Wayman on Tuesday to continue Hull’s arraignment, which fell just four days after his initial court appearance, Wayman denied the request and entered a not guilty plea on Hull’s behalf.

Hull is accused in the Nov. 24 death of the daughter of his girlfriend, according to a grand jury indictment that included the testimony of 16 witnesses including doctors, witnesses and sheriff’s office investigators.

Attorneys asked the court for a two-week trial beginning Oct. 2 in Coeur d’Alene, with a pretrial hearing set Sept. 14, unless a settlement is reached before then.

Hull’s bond was set at $1 million last week despite a plea from defense attorney Jason Johnson of Spokane, who told the court that his client has no criminal history and that he grew up in the area.

“The defendant has the support of not only his family, but the child’s family,” Johnson told the court.

Johnson said Hull worked at Walmart and lived with the baby’s mother. He asked that his client be released on his own recognizance, and wear a monitoring device, which the judge denied.

According to the May 2 indictment, Hull “did unlawfully kill and murder a human being, committed in the perpetration or attempted perpetration of aggravated battery upon (the) child … by inflicting a head injury upon the Stella M. Engall.”

If convicted Hull could face a minimum 10 years behind bars and a maximum life sentence.

Jonson this week filed two motions including a request to receive transcripts of the grand jury proceedings and an order to request public funds to hire an investigator. Wayman hasn’t yet ruled on the motions.

The prosecutor’s office at Tuesday’s hearing was represented by deputies Laura McClinton and Rebecca Perez.