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BARKLEY THIELEMAN/The Sun
Date set for Marshall trial: Lindell Choat (left) and Mary
Jayne Choat are arraigned in Benton, accompanied by
attorney Will Kautz. |
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The
Lyon county attorney and his wife had asked for a speedy trial,
but their attorney didn't agree to an earlier one.
Staff report
Saturday, October 02,
2004
BENTON,
Ky.
The trial for Lyon County Attorney Lindell Choat and his wife,
Mary Jayne Choat, will begin Jan. 19 in Marshall Circuit Court.
The Choats made their first court appearance Thursday since
being indicted last week on charges related to a party they hosted
Feb. 13 for 75 to 80 teenagers in a rented cabin at Kentucky Dam
Village State Resort Park. Judge Dennis Foust set aside three days
for the trial, although special prosecutor Mac Johns, Todd County
county attorney, said it should be over in two days.
The Choats pleaded not guilty to 13 charges of unlawful
transaction with a minor for providing beer to under-age drinkers
and one charge of tampering with evidence. The tampering charge
involves a pelvic examination that police say Mary Jayne Choat
performed on a 16-year-old girl who police say was the victim of
an attempted rape.
Lindell Choat also is charged with two counts of official
misconduct and two counts of tampering with a witness. Police say
he attempted to influence officers not to proceed with an
investigation of the alleged rape.
Also on Wednesday, Foust accepted a not guilty plea from
Christopher Scott Hollis, 19, of Princeton, charged with the
attempted rape.
Foust also lowered Hollis' bond from $25,000 cash to $10,000
cash or property. Willard Paxton, Hollis' attorney, said Hollis
had a relative who could post a property bond that would allow him
to be free until his trial.
No trial date was set for Hollis, but a pretrial conference was
set for Dec. 13 at which Foust said he would set a trial date. The
Choats also will appear Dec. 13 for a pretrial conference.
Foust said he is making this case a priority. "He's an elected
official, and he either needs to be cleared so he can resume his
duties or found guilty so he can be removed from office," Foust
said, referring to Lindell Choat.
Choat continues to receive his full pay as county attorney,
about $70,000 a year, but has been suspended from prosecuting
cases in Lyon District Court. He is allowed to continue doing
civil work and giving legal advice to the fiscal court and other
county officials.
Will Kautz, attorney for the Choats, said Wednesday that he
wanted a trial date before the end of the year. On Thursday, Foust
offered Kautz a trial date in November or December, but Kautz
declined, saying he didn't know if that would give him sufficient
time to prepare the defense.
