Rape case goes to grand jury

By W.R. Griffin
Special to the Register

July 10, 2008 09:33 am

— A charge of statutory rape against a Berea man and three other cases were handed up Wednesday to a Madison County grand jury by District Court Judge Brandy Oliver Brown.
The other three cases were drug- and alcohol-related against two Berea residents and a Mt. Vernon man, respectively.
Jordon Christopher Logan, 18, of 205 Gregory St., was arrested June 30 on charges of second-degree rape, no force, after allegedly having sexual intercourse three days earlier in Berea with a female who was 13. Logan turned 18 on June 19.
Logan earlier denied the allegation at his arraignment, but later said he lied, according to the citation. Logan was released on $1,000 bond into the custody of his parents. Judge Brown set as a condition of his release on bail that Logan have no contact “whatsoever” with the alleged victim. The judge also warned Logan that if he violated the terms of his bail, his parents would forfeit their $1,000.
Madison County Attorney Marc Robbins agreed to releasing Logan on bail, saying he thought the subject was not a flight risk.
In another case handed up, Gary Claston Davidson, 25, of 192 Glades Road, #4, Berea, is charged with possession of an “unspecified drug” and drug paraphernalia. Davidson was arrested June 27. The drug in question, according to the citation, tested positive as methamphetamine.
Police wrote in the citation that they found the subject “preparing to shoot up.” The officers stated when they asked Davidson what he was doing, the subject answered, “just getting high.” The police report says Davidson was turned in by his mother, Barbara Barnett.
The grand jury also will hear charges of possession of a controlled substance, first degree, “an opiate,” and drug paraphernalia against Jacob Edward Truitt, 30, of 136 Long Hollow Road, Berea. The arrest occurred June 17 at Boone and Chestnut streets in Berea. According to the citation, Truitt allegedly told police the substance was oxycontin.
The grand jury also will consider charges of operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, driving without an illuminated license plate and failure to wear a seat belt against Frankie R. Hasty, 39, of 72 Davis Lane, Mount Vernon. The police citation states Hasty was arrested during a traffic stop March 23 on Estill Avenue in Richmond.
Two other similar but unrelated cases Wednesday in Madison District Court involved fourth-degree assault charges. Both of the accused entered guilty pleas and one was sentenced to jail while the other received home incarceration. Both cases involved assaults on law enforcement officers. And, both were originally third degree assault, which is a felony, but were amended to fourth-degree assault for district court consideration, Robbins said.
Joseph Michael Shearer, 25, of 178 Killarney, #1, was arrested May 9 at 360 West High St. on disorderly conduct and alcohol intoxication charges. Afterward, an incident in the booking area of the Madison County Detention Center led to charges of menacing and fourth-degree assault.
According to the police citation, Shearer became abusive, “yelling and cussing.” Capt. Mike Clark was loosening one of his handcuffs when Shearer “head-butted” Clark, striking him in the nose and mouth. Clark, in his description of the incident, said Shearer was, “very combative.”
Shearer was sentenced to 29 days of home incarceration. Judge Brown told Shearer, “Don’t mess it up or it will be revoked. Home incarceration is a privilege, not a right.”
Mary L. Riley, 26, of 546 Elliston Road, was arrested June 28 by Berea Police at 105 Brown St., Trailer #7, Berea, for alcohol intoxication and disorderly conduct. An incident at the trailer led to charges of resisting arrest and assault in the fourth degree.
According to the citation, officers responded to a report of an intoxicated person in a vehicle. When they arrived they smelled, “a very strong odor of alcohol,” in the vehicle. The report also states Riley became abusing and began “cursing and yelling” telling Officer Chris Jones to “Get the ‘x-x-x-x’ off me.” The report states Riley then became combative, fighting and kicking Jones in the stomach. When Jones asked Riley to stop resisting, Jones says she refused.
Riley was sentenced to 60 days in jail.