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Crime & Safety

Trial Delayed a Week for Pair Accused of Killing Child

Jury selection scheduled for Sept. 10 in trial of Banning couple accused of killing woman's 2-year-old son.

Jury selection is scheduled to get under way on Sept. 10 for the trial of a Banning couple accused in the beating death of the woman's 2-year-old son.

Andrew Lee Payne, 24, could face 25 years to life in prison and Davia Damanique James, 23, could face 15 years to life behind bars if convicted in the death of the youngster, identified in court documents as John Doe.

The child died from severe head trauma on Nov. 11.

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Trial proceedings were slated to begin Tuesday, but to give both the prosecution and defense time to locate witnesses and iron out scheduling issues, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Michele Levine deferred the matter a week, when pretrial motions will be heard. Jury selection is expected to get under way the following day. Levine blocked off 12 days total for the trial.

Each defendant is being held in lieu of $1 million bail -- Payne at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, James at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.

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Payne is charged with second-degree murder, assault on a child resulting in great bodily injury, falsifying a prescription and possession of illegal drugs. James is charged with second-degree murder and child endangerment.

According to Banning police, officers were sent to the defendants' single-story house at 1435 W. Hays St. two days before the boy's death to investigate a report of an injured child. Deputy District Attorney Kevin Beecham told City News Service that investigators learned from doctors that the 2-year-old had suffered a compressed spine, punctured lung and other internal and external injuries.

The prosecutor said there was also brain hemorrhaging from a blow to the toddler's head. Most of the injuries appear to have been inflicted while James was shopping and Payne was supposed to be watching the boy, according to investigators.

Beecham said the child remained in the residence, drifting in and out of consciousness for two days before James requested an ambulance.

The tot died that week in the pediatric intensive care unit at Loma Linda University Medical Center.

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