T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Ashley Rebecca Marino waives her right to a speedy trial and has her bond reduced to $10,000 Monday in Belmont County Common Pleas Court. Her trial date was also set. She is one of four people accused of having children in deplorable conditions in Bridgeport.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Bond was reduced this week for a woman accused of having children in deplorable conditions.

Ashley Rebecca Marino, 29, of 54420 Wabash St., Bridgeport, appeared in Belmont County Common Pleas Court before visiting Judge David Ellwood, a retired judge from Guernsey County. A visiting judge was assigned to the case because Belmont County Common Pleas Judges John Vavra and Frank Fregiato both know relatives of the defendants.

Marino already had been arraigned and had pleaded innocent to felonious assault and endangering children, offenses that allegedly occurred July 25. On Monday, Marino’s final pretrial hearing was set for Jan. 22 with her trial to begin Feb. 11. Ellwood said he expects the trial to last three or four days.

Marino waived her right to a speedy trial Monday, and her bond was reduced from $25,000 to $10,000.

“We would ask that the bond be set at $10,000 in return for the (signing) of the waiver,” Belmont County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan said.

Her co-defendant, Dylan Bryan Baird, 26, of 20 Maple St., Bridgeport did not appear in court but was assigned identical pretrial and trial dates. During his arraignment, he pleaded innocent to one count of endangering children, which also allegedly occurred July 25. He is being held without bail in an unrelated domestic violence case being heard in Belmont County Northern Division Court.

The charges relating to children stem from the arrest of four people in July, when law enforcement performed a requested welfare check on Marino’s house. Officers reportedly found garbage piled up outside the entryway and further unhealthy living conditions. They also discovered injuries, such as lesions and sores, on the four children found inside the home. Drug paraphernalia also allegedly was found at the site.

The children, ages 1-7 years old, were immediately taken to a hospital for medical treatment and care.

The other two individuals who were arrested have not yet been indicted by a grand jury yet. Records indicate that one of them is a registered sex offender.

According to Belmont County Department of Job and Family Services, the children have been placed in foster homes.