Mother accused of performing, concealing illegal abortion now slated for springtime jury trial

MADISON, Neb. -- The jury trial for a northeast Nebraska woman accused of helping illegally terminate her daughter's pregnancy and concealing the fetus will now be held during the spring at the soonest.

Jessica Burgess's pre-trial hearing was moved to March 3, with her jury trial now slated for April 10.

A day prior, the court received documents from an unrelated party regarding the subject of personhood, which were filed as a complaint for leave to intervene.

According to court records, Jessica Burgess and her now 18-year-old daughter, Celeste Burgess, reportedly discussed terminating Celeste's pregnancy via Facebook messages, which were later acquired by law enforcement.

Another person, a then-21-year-old man, pleaded no contest to helping bury the fetus north of Norfolk and was sentenced to probation.

A pre-trial hearing for Celeste Burgess is currently scheduled for January 30, with a jury trial expected March 13.