Trial for local artists reset for November
Posted on Sunday, September 14, 2008
A hearing for the Siloam Springs artist and wife who are facing theft charges was reset to November because the wife’s mental evaluation has yet to be completed.
The psychiatrist who was expected to evaluate Shandine Tyler for the case requested not to do it because of a possible conflict of interest, said Kip Whittemore, the Benton County prosecutor on the case.
Tyler regularly visited the psychiatrist, according to Whittemore.
Judge Tom Keith ordered another psychiatrist to evaluate Shandine Tyler after her attorney, John Elrod, asked for this.
Timothy and Shandine Tyler will return to Benton County Circuit Court for an omnibus hearing Nov. 10.
Keith initially ordered Shandine Tyler to undergo an evaluation July 7.
Timothy Tyler’s and Shandine Tyler’s cases are tracking together.
Scott McElveen, deputy public defender, represents Timothy Tyler.
The Tylers face charges of theft and fraudulent use of a credit card.
They allegedly charged art students for a workshop that Timothy Tyler was ex- pected to host in Belfast, Ireland, in June 2007.
Tyler reportedly did not show up for the workshop.
Timothy Tyler alone faces a separate theft charge because he allegedly used a woman’s credit card without her permission twice in October 2006.
The Tylers told police that they refunded all the charges.
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