MOBILE, Ala. ( WALA ) - A teacher accused of child abuse is asking to plead not guilty without appearing in court, but there’s no guarantee a judge will grant it.

Nicole Staples is out on bond and wants her first court appearance to be for a preliminary hearing. That’s where a judge could decide if there’s enough evidence to send the case to a grand jury.

Deputies arrested Staples on school grounds after a video went viral. It allegedly shows her hitting her child with a belt more than 20 times off-campus.

The lead investigator says the alleged abuse happened because the child did not do his chores the way Staples wanted him to.

She’s due in court Dec. 3 for an arraignment, but if her motion is granted, she could skip that appearance.

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