Mother arraigned again in attack on children

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July 18, 2012

Mother arraigned again in attack on children

BY JULIE MANGANIS, STAFF WRITER The Salem News The Salem News Wed Jul 18, 2012, 04:30 AM EDT

SALEM — The Salem mother accused of trying to kill her two young children and then setting fire to their apartment in March was arraigned yesterday in Salem Superior Court.

Tanicia Goodwin, 25, stood silently as the charges, including two counts each of armed assault with intent to murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on a child causing serious bodily injury, as well as other assault and arson counts, were read.

A not-guilty plea was entered on her behalf.

Goodwin is charged with slashing the throats of her children, Jamaal, 8, and Erica, 3, inside their Salem Heights apartment and then setting it on fire, leaving the boy trapped inside.

The case has been moved, following a grand jury indictment, to Superior Court because many of the charges are beyond the jurisdiction of Salem District Court, where Goodwin made her initial court appearances this spring.

Judge John Lu also signed an order yesterday that will keep Goodwin at Boston’s Solomon Carter Fuller Mental Health Center, a psychiatric facility, for at least another 30 days.

Prosecutor Melissa Woodard filed a motion seeking to have Goodwin continue to be held without bail as a dangerous person, but a hearing on that request has not been scheduled.

Goodwin’s attorneys, Steven Van Dyke and Denise Regan, asked Lu to impound all of the documents submitted by Woodard in support of that motion. Van Dyke acknowledged that he had not read any of the new materials, which include Department of Children and Families reports, an interview with the boy, and photographs, but said he does not want any of it released.

Lu initially agreed to impound only the DCF reports, but then, after hearing from Woodard, added the interview with the child.

A status hearing has been scheduled for July 27.

Courts reporter Julie Manganis can be reached at 978-338-2521, via email at jmanganis@salemnews.com or on Twitter @SNJulieManganis.