Saturday, September
25, 2004
Lyon
County Attorney Lindell Choat and his wife, Mary Jane, were
indicted by a Marshall County grand jury Thursday on charges
stemming from a party they allegedly threw at the Kentucky Dam
Village State Resort Park in February.
A Princeton man, 19-year-old Scott Hollis, was also indicted
on an attempted rape charge in connection with the party, which
reportedly took place Feb. 13-14 in a rented cabin at the park.
According to the indictments, the Choats threw a party for
Mary Jane Choat’s son and between 75 and 80 other teenagers.
The Choats allegedly provided a keg of beer but did not
supervise the teens to determine who was of legal drinking age.
Hollis, of Ky. 128, is accused of the attempted rape of a
16-year-old girl at the party.
Lindell Choat is charged with one count of tampering with
physical evidence and two counts of tampering with a witness
(both are felony charges), two counts of first-degree official
misconduct and 13 counts of third-degree unlawful transaction
with a minor (misdemeanors).
The tampering charges reportedly accuse Choat of trying to
dissuade a Princeton police officer and a Marshall County deputy
from proceeding with the rape investigation.
His reported failure to report a suspected rape, required of
him as an officer of the court, and his alleged provision of
alcohol to minors led to the official misconduct charges.
In addition to the 13 counts of unlawful transaction with a
minor, Mary Jane Choat faces a charge of one count of tampering
with physical evidence.
She is accused of performing an unlawful pelvic examination
of the alleged rape victim to determine if a rape had taken
place.
According to the indictments, the examination prevented the
introduction of any rape-related evidence at trial.
The Choats turned themselves in to Marshall County
authorities Thursday morning. Marshall Circuit Clerk Carol Fisk
said they each posted 10 percent of their $10,000 bonds and were
released.
An active warrant was issued for Hollis, but no arrest had
been reported late Friday. His bond was set at $25,000.
Each is scheduled for arraignment Thursday before Marshall
Circuit Judge Dennis Foust.
Lyon Judge/Executive Sara Boyd said Choat had not given
notice of resignation Friday afternoon. “He’s innocent until
proven guilty,” she said.
Choat had, however, been suspended from his duties as a
criminal prosecutor in Lyon District Court.
Boyd said McCracken County Attorney Dan Boaz had been
appointed by Attorney General Greg Stumbo to handle Choat’s Lyon
County cases.
A conviction on the felony charges for the Choats could
result in up to five years in prison, while the misdemeanor
charges carry a maximum penalty of a year in jail.
For Hollis, a conviction on the attempted rape charge carries
a penalty of between 10 and 20 years in prison.
