Childs Case Moves To District Court

The preliminary hearing Monday on the perjury charges against Lylia J. Childs started a minute early in Kimball County Court, with Judge Kris Mickey appearing by video. Due to a conflict of interest, Judge Mickey from Scotts Bluff County and the Cheyenne County clerk conducted the preliminary hearing.

David Wilson, Kimball County attorney, represented the state, and Childs sat at the opposing table with no counsel.

Childs was arraigned on August 9, and the court had received no affidavit for appointment of counsel.

The state’s first witness was Kimball County sheriff’s Deputy Greg Taylor. Taylor said that in January 2023, the sheriff’s office conducted an investigation into Childs’ alleged falsification of an affidavit for counsel. After this investigation, felony perjury charges were filed against Childs.

Taylor testified that on June 26, 2023, Childs was arrested, and she received approval to go to her house to get $5,000 cash to bond herself out of jail. With this knowledge, the sheriff’s office obtained a search warrant to go to the house; Childs had previously said they had no cash.

County Attorney Wilson presented a copy of the financial affidavit to the court, which was the basis for the charge.

Judge Mickey stopped the proceeding because he did not have a copy of the financial affidavit. Mickey thought it best if he appeared in person due to the introduction of the document.

Judge Mickey explained to Childs that the preliminary hearing was not a trial and that Childs could forego the hearing and be “bumped” up to district court.

Childs then agreed to have the case “bumped” up to district court, and she will be arraigned on Sept. 5 at 9 a.m.