By Jared Nelson |
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Lyon County Attorney Lindell Choat (left) and his wife,
Mary Jayne, listen with their attorneys, Mark Bryant and
Will Kautz, as reporters offer questions during a press
conference in Paducah Wednesday. The Choats and Princeton
resident Scott Hollis pleaded not guilty to the charges
filed against them in Marshall County.
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Saturday, October 02,
2004
Lyon
County Attorney Lindell Choat and his wife, Mary Jayne, pleaded
not guilty to multiple charges in Marshall Circuit Court in Benton
Thursday morning, in a case involving a February party, allegedly
hosted by the Choats, in which beer was reportedly served to
teenagers at Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park.
A Princeton man, Christopher Lee Scott Hollis, also entered a
not guilty plea to a charge of first-degree attempted rape in
connection with the same incident.
Hollis, 19, was indicted by a Marshall County grand jury on the
attempted rape charge Thursday, Sept. 23.
The Choats, who were indicted the same day, are accused of
tampering with physical evidence and tampering with witnesses for
allegedly attempting to cover up the attempted rape and dissuade
police officers from investigating. They also face charges of 13
counts of unlawful transaction with a minor.
The Choats’ plans to plead not guilty were discussed by two of
their attorneys, Mark Bryant and Will Kautz, in a press conference
in Paducah Wednesday afternoon. Bryant said attorney Emily Roark
is also assisting in the Choats’ defense.
Comment on the particulars of the case was limited, however.
Bryant cited a Kentucky Bar Association opinion that prevented him
from speaking about the incident in more detail.
The defense’s version of the incidents in which the Choats are
accused will be presented in court, he said. Until then, though,
no facts about the case could be revealed.
“I wish I could tell you now what those facts are,” he said.
“There’s so much that we would like to say that we just can’t
say,” Kautz added.
“We don’t have anything to hide,” said Bryant. “We want a
trial, and we want it real fast.”
The attorneys also discussed Lindell Choat’s status as Lyon
County Attorney, indicating that he would remain in the position
until the case was resolved.
“Because Mr. Choat is an elected official who holds an office
established by the Constitution of Kentucky, the law provides that
during the pendency of charges and before any determination of
guilt or innocence, based entirely on the existence and not the
proof of charges, another person is to perform his duties,” Bryant
wrote in a statement prepared for the conference.
“Mr. Choat will remain Lyon County Attorney and will not
resign,” he said, adding that, under the law, Choat and his wife
were presumed innocent until proven guilty and should be given the
benefit of the doubt until all the case’s facts were presented.
Choat will continue to serve as advisor for the Lyon County
Fiscal Court during the case, Bryant added.
He can be removed from office only with a felony conviction, he
said.
Marshall County Attorney Dan Boaz and assistants currently
handle prosecution of Choat’s cases in Lyon District Court and
answer residents’ legal questions.
The incident in question involves a party reportedly thrown
Feb. 13-14 at the Marshall County resort where between 75-80
teenagers attended and a keg of beer was present.
The Choats each face a charge of 13 counts of unlawful
transaction with a minor for allegedly failing to supervise the
teens to determine who was not of legal drinking age.
Lindell Choat is charged with two counts of tampering with a
witness, one count of tampering with physical evidence and two
counts of official misconduct.
Mary Jayne Choat, who is a licensed nurse, is also accused of
performing an unlawful pelvic examination on a juvenile at the
party to determine if a rape had occurred. She is charged with one
count of tampering with evidence because of that alleged
examination.
A pretrial conference for Hollis and the Choats is scheduled
for Monday, Dec. 13.
