Lindsay Johnson, a 34-year-old night nanny accused of aggravated child abuse, will not stand trial for a second time in September as originally planned after she opted to enter a plea in return for reduced charges.

Summit County jurors in May found Johnson not guilty on five counts of aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony. However, the jury was unable to reach a consensus regarding three aggravated child abuse counts tied to specific head injuries and two rib fractures. Third District Judge Richard Mrazik declared a partial mistrial and scheduled a second trial in September for prosecutors to try the three remaining charges.

The trial has since been cancelled, with court documents indicating Johnson pleaded no contest to the remaining charges last week. No contest pleas mean a defendant is not disputing the indictment and is willing to accept the court’s punishment without formally admitting guilt.

Two of Johnson’s charges were dismissed as a result of the plea, and the third charge was reduced to a third-degree felony.

Johnson was technically sentenced to serve up to five years in prison, but Mrazik suspended her prison sentence in favor of a 36-month probation period. Her sentencing prohibits Johnson from any job involving contact with minors or that places her in a position of “supervision, authority or trust over minors.”

Johnson was arrested in late 2024 after a 6-week-old child in her care was admitted to Intermountain Health Primary Children’s Hospital with brain injuries, broken ribs and a broken femur. She was initially charged with eight counts of aggravated child abuse, seven of which have since been dropped or dismissed.

Summit County prosecutors in May called a team of doctors who treated the child at the time of his injuries to the stand throughout the weeklong proceeding. Their testimony centered on the specific trauma the infant experienced and how injuries may appear differently in babies than an adult would expect.

For example, one doctor said “shaken baby syndrome,” or head trauma caused by shaking or roughhousing with an infant, often appears as internal injuries, so parents or caregivers may not see visible bruising, cuts or other signs of harm.

Johnson’s defense attorneys relied on similar arguments.

They said it was possible the baby, who was born prematurely and struggled with other health issues before the alleged abuse, had unknowingly been hurt at an earlier point in time, with symptoms presenting themselves after Johnson’s overnight shift with the child.

Johnson also took the stand to testify in her defense. She emphasized her attachment to the children she cares for and said her role as a night nanny is to provide support to families. She denied all allegations of harming the baby.

A restitution hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Sept. 25.

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Lindsay Johnson, a 33-year-old night nanny accused of aggravated child abuse, will stand trial for a second time in September after a Summit County jury failed to reach a unanimous decision in her case last month.

Jurors found Johnson not guilty on five counts of aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony, in May. However, the jury was unable to reach a consensus regarding three aggravated child abuse counts tied to specific head injuries and two rib fractures, and Third District Judge Richard Mrazik declared a partial mistrial.

Summit County prosecutors at the time said they planned to pursue a second trial for those remaining three counts, which has now been scheduled for Sept. 29 to Oct. 2.

Johnson was arrested in late 2024 after a 6-week-old child in her care was admitted to Intermountain Health Primary Children’s Hospital with brain injuries, broken ribs and a broken femur. She was charged with eight counts of aggravated child abuse, but Summit County jurors acquitted her of five of those counts.

Summit County prosecutors called a team of doctors who treated the child at the time of his injuries to the stand throughout the first trial last month. Their testimony centered on the physical trauma the infant experienced and how injuries may appear differently in babies than an adult would expect.

For example, one doctor said “shaken baby syndrome,” or head trauma caused by shaking or roughhousing with an infant, often appears as internal injuries, so parents or caregivers may not see visible bruising, cuts or other signs of harm.

Johnson’s defense attorneys relied on similar arguments.

They said it was possible the baby, who was born prematurely and struggled with other health issues before the alleged abuse, had unknowingly been hurt at an earlier point in time, with symptoms presenting themselves after Johnson’s overnight shift with the child.

Johnson also took the stand to testify in her defense. She emphasized her attachment to the children she cares for and said her role as a night nanny is to support families. She denied all allegations of harming the baby.

Johnson has been held in the Summit County Jail without bail since her arrest in 2024. Skye Lazaro, the lead defense attorney on Johnson’s case, filed a motion to reconsider bail shortly after the mistrial was announced, arguing the verdict had introduced “material changes” to the case that warranted Johnson’s release.

Lazaro suggested a variety of solutions for Johnson’s housing situation, including sending her to live with family friends in Waterbury, Vermont, or having a friend sponsor Johnson in a Utah-based apartment.

She argued there were other solutions to monitoring Johnson besides detaining her in jail, such as frequent visits with probation officers, but Mrazik disagreed. He said there were “not any less restrictive means at this time” and denied the request, according to court documents.

The post Second trial scheduled for night nanny’s remaining aggravated child abuse charges appeared first on Park Record.

Lindsay Johnson, a 33-year-old night nanny accused of aggravated child abuse, will remain in the Summit County Jail without bail as prosecutors decide whether to retry her case after a deadlocked jury led to a partial mistrial earlier this week.

Johnson was arrested in late 2024 after a 6-week-old child in her care was admitted to Intermountain Health Primary Children’s Hospital with brain injuries, broken ribs and a broken femur. She was charged with eight counts of aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony.

Skye Lazaro, Johnson’s defense attorney, filed a motion to reconsider Johnson’s bail shortly after Third District Judge Richard Mrazik announced the partial verdict on Monday. Lazaro argued that the verdict had introduced “material changes” to the case that warranted Johnson’s release.

Specifically, she recommended Johnson return to Waterbury, Vermont, to live with Bernadette and Eric Bloom, two family friends who have known Johnson for 20 years. In a letter to the court, Bernadette emphasized Eric’s 25-year career with the U.S. Army and said he would be home with Johnson daily to ensure she complies with court orders.

Lazaro also suggested finding permanent housing for Johnson in Utah if crossing state lines remained an issue. Samantha Abare, another friend of Johnson’s from Vermont, told the judge she would sign a lease on an apartment and financially support Johnson if she were required to stay in Utah.

However, prosecutors in a detention hearing on Tuesday said they will likely initiate a second jury trial and requested Johnson be held without bail.

Lazaro argued there were other solutions to monitoring Johnson besides detaining her in jail, including frequent visits with probation officers, but Mrazik disagreed. He said there were “not any less restrictive means at this time” and denied the request, according to court documents.

Summit County jurors struggled to reach a verdict in Johnson’s case and deliberated for most of Friday and Monday after three full days of testimony. They found her not guilty on five of the eight felony charges she faced. The other three counts resulted in a mistrial because the jury did not reach a unanimous decision.

All eight charges were for aggravated child abuse, but each count was tied to a specific injury on the child. The three counts that resulted in a mistrial encompassed the infant’s head injury and two rib fractures.

The Summit County Attorney’s Office may seat a second jury to determine if Johnson is guilty or not guilty of those three counts at a later date.

Summit County prosecutors during the first trial called a team of doctors to the stand, who testified about treating the child at the time of the incident throughout the weeklong jury trial. They spoke about the specific trauma the infant experienced and how injuries may appear differently in babies than an adult would expect.

For example, one doctor said “shaken baby syndrome,” or head trauma caused by shaking or roughhousing with an infant, often appears as internal injuries, so parents or caregivers may not see visible bruising, cuts or other signs of harm.

Johnson’s defense attorneys relied on similar arguments, saying the baby, who was born prematurely and struggled with other health issues before the alleged abuse, could have been unknowingly injured at an earlier point in time, with symptoms presenting themselves after Johnson’s overnight shift with the child.

Johnson also took the stand to testify in her defense. She emphasized her attachment to the children she cares for and said her role as a night nanny is to provide support to families. She denied all allegations of harming the baby.

Her next court hearing is a pretrial conference scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on May 29.

The post Third District Court judge orders night nanny accused of child abuse to remain in custody appeared first on Park Record.

A Summit County jury struggled to reach a verdict in an aggravated child abuse case this week, and a night nanny accused of injuring an infant was found not guilty on five of the eight felony counts she faced. The other three counts resulted in a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision.

Lindsay Johnson, 33, was arrested in late 2024 after a 6-week-old child in her care was admitted to Intermountain Health Primary Children’s Hospital with brain injuries, broken ribs and a broken femur. She was charged with eight counts of aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony.

Johnson pleaded not guilty to all counts in March 2025, and her jury trial began last week.

Summit County prosecutors called a team of doctors who treated the child at the time of his injuries to the stand throughout the weeklong proceeding. Their testimony centered on the specific trauma the infant experienced and how injuries may appear differently in babies than an adult would expect.

For example, one doctor said “shaken baby syndrome,” or head trauma caused by shaking or roughhousing with an infant, often appears as internal injuries, so parents or caregivers may not see visible bruising, cuts or other signs of harm.

Johnson’s defense attorneys relied on similar arguments.

They said it was possible the baby, who was born prematurely and struggled with other health issues before the alleged abuse, had unknowingly been hurt at an earlier point in time, with symptoms presenting themselves after Johnson’s overnight shift with the child.

Johnson also took the stand to testify in her defense. She emphasized her attachment to the children she cares for and said her role as a night nanny is to provide support to families. She denied all allegations of harming the baby.

The jury entered deliberations on Friday and reached a partial agreement Monday afternoon, returning a not guilty verdict on five of Johnson’s eight counts.

Third District Judge Richard Mrazik declared the remaining three charges a mistrial, which means the Summit County Attorney’s Office may seat a second jury to determine if Johnson is guilty or not guilty of the three counts at a later date.

A spokesperson for the Summit County Attorney’s Office on Tuesday said the department is still deciding whether to pursue a second trial.

Johnson’s defense attorneys submitted a motion to hold a detention hearing shortly after the jury announced its verdict. The document asked Mrazik to reconsider releasing Johnson from the Summit County Jail since she was found not guilty on five counts and is still waiting for information regarding the prosecutors’ decision.

The detention hearing was scheduled for 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

The post Jury finds night nanny not guilty on some counts, mistrial declared for others appeared first on Park Record.

A night nanny facing multiple aggravated child abuse charges is headed for a jury trial later this year.

Lindsay Johnson, 33, was arrested in late 2024 after a 6-week-old infant in her care was admitted to Intermountain Health Primary Children’s Hospital with brain injuries, broken ribs and a broken femur. She was charged with eight counts of aggravated child abuse, a second-degree felony.

Johnson pleaded not guilty on all counts in March 2025, and a four-day jury trial was scheduled to begin on April 28.

The Summit County Sheriff’s Office started investigating Johnson on Nov. 27, 2024, after physicians in the pediatric intensive care unit contacted them. The doctors said the injuries of the 6-week-old infant were caused by non-accidental trauma consistent with “shaken baby syndrome,” according to court documents.

One doctor on the care team specifically told detectives that they had detected a brain bleed, despite “no significant external trauma.” The doctor also noted the infant had been brought to the hospital six days earlier for a fever and had no signs of trauma at the time.

“Physicians ruled out blood disorders that could present similar symptoms and believed (the infant’s) trauma to be inertia generated,” court documents said.

Investigators spoke with the infant’s parents, who said their baby was behaving normally when they handed him off to their night nanny, Johnson, the previous evening.

But the next morning, the infant reportedly refused to eat, and his mother noticed his fist was clenched and both his arms and legs were twitching. She consulted with his father, and both parents then watched as the baby had a “full-body seizure.”

They then took the infant to their pediatrician, where the baby had another seizure, before taking him to Primary Children’s.

“A follow up skeletal survey performed Dec. 12, 2024, revealed that (the child) had four additional fractured ribs that were believed to have been inflicted during the same timeframe as (the infant’s) abusive head trauma,” court documents said.

Detectives determined Johnson was the only person to have contact with the child overnight and arrested her. The Summit County Attorney’s Office later charged her with eight counts of aggravated child abuse, which carries a sentence of one to 15 years in prison if convicted.

She has been held without bail since the time of her arrest after Summit County Third District Judge Richard Mrazik ordered she remain in pre-trial detention based on evidence provided by Summit County prosecutor Joseph Hill.

“I have concerns, not only about, of course, the nature of the charges but about Ms. Johnson’s safety in the community, specifically as it relates to herself and other children she may come in contact with,” Hill explained.

Hill said the state would not have a foolproof method of ensuring Johnson has no contact with children if she were to be released, which would potentially put other kids in the community at risk. He also noted Johnson was a person of interest in a child abuse investigation last August.

In that case, a 3-week-old infant was taken to a medical facility in Vermont with “unexplained bruising,” according to Hill.

“To be clear, there were no charges filed in that case,” Hill said. “The state’s attorney declined to file charges against anybody, but I think it’s concerning that shortly thereafter, Ms. Johnson leaves Vermont and comes to Utah,” Hill said.

Johnson stayed with a friend in Herriman when she moved to Utah in November, but residing with that friend was no longer an option after her arrest. Hill said that increased her flight risk.

He added that Johnson has struggled with self-harm and suicidal ideation in the past, pointing to two specific welfare checks in 2014 and 2019.

“I know those are somewhat dated and, of course, treatment can change a person in the interim. However, it does show, I believe, a pattern of how Ms. Johnson deals with stressful situations,” Hill said.

Hill said investigators had also found online searches on a device owned by Johnson inquiring about seizures after shaking a baby. The searches were allegedly entered before doctors had issued a CT scan and diagnosed the infant with a brain bleed.

Johnson’s attorneys argued that Johnson’s interactions with children could be limited with an ankle monitor, home visits and conditions for release similar to those for sex offenders, including a curfew, no contact with the victims, no contact with children under the age of 5 and no entering places where children congregate, such as a school.

Mrazik sided with the prosecution, though, citing the felony nature of aggravated child abuse charges.

“The severity of that potential sanction creates a powerful incentive for a defendant to flee the jurisdiction, to hurt themselves or to do something else desperate,” Mrazik said.

He also expressed concerns about Johnson’s recent move to Utah, as well as her ability to easily become a child care provider in other states if she were to flee.

“She has previous ties to other states. She has a 12-year professional course of conduct of caring for kids,” Mrazik said. “It’s a portable skill that she could do in other states. Those people hiring her in other states wouldn’t necessarily know about these charges. Her ability to leave and support herself in other places is far stronger than her ties to the state of Utah.”

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