Saturday, September 25, 2004

EDDYVILLE, Ky.--Lyon County Judge-Executive Sara Boyd said it "would be nice" if County Attorney Lindell Choat would resign from office in the wake of his indictment Thursday in Marshall County on 18 charges related to a party he hosted for his stepson at which alcohol allegedly was served.

Also, Christopher Lee Hollis, 19, of Princeton was taken into custody Friday after the Marshall County grand jury indicted him Thursday on a charge of attempted rape. Police say the attempt happened during the party.

State law provides that Choat automatically is suspended from his duties as district court prosecutor, but there are no provisions to remove him as the county's chief legal adviser and attorney.

Boyd said she has not heard from Choat since the indictment was returned. She said he wasn't in his courthouse office Friday. If the county needs legal assistance, help will be sought from state officials in Frankfort, Boyd said.

"It would be nice if he did resign, but the decision is his," Boyd said. She didn't know if the fiscal court might ask him to step down. "We'll have to think about that," she said.

Choat defeated Bill Young to become county attorney in 1998. Young had held the office for more than 20 years.

Attempts to contact Choat have been unsuccessful. Calls to his home telephone were not answered.

Attorney General Greg Stumbo has appointed McCracken County Attorney Dan Boaz as special prosecutor in Lyon County. Boaz said he or someone from his Paducah office will be in Lyon District Court on Mondays and Fridays.

Choat and his wife, Mary Jane Choat, are accused in indictments of hosting a beer party on Feb. 13 for 75 to 80 teenagers in a rented cabin at Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park at Gilbertsville.

They are charged with attempting to conceal an attempted rape of a 16-year-old girl who attended the party, of trying to influence police officers not to investigate the attempted rape and with providing a keg of beer without supervising who was old enough to drink.

The Choats turned themselves in to Marshall County authorities Thursday morning and were released on $10,000 bond each.

Hollis was taken into custody at 5 p.m. Friday and taken to the Herman B. Ford Detention Center in Benton. His bond was set at $25,000. His next court date was not available Friday night.

The indictments state that Mary Jane Choat conducted an examination of the girl to determine whether a rape had taken place, and that the examination was an effort to conceal evidence.