By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
A 73-year-old former Colt man was acquitted of rape charges Friday when a St. Francis County jury found him not guilty in the case involving two children.
John D. Easley of Sherwood was freed Friday of charges of molesting a six-year-old boy earlier this year and a girl, who is now six, but was allegedly molested when she was two and a half.
As onlookers listened, First Judicial District Judge L.T. Simes III read the not guilty verdicts on both counts of rape against a child. The 12- member jury, which consisted of seven women and five men, six black and six white, took close to an hour and a half to return the not guilty verdict.
First District Prosecuting Attorney Fletcher Long was silenced by the outcome.
"All I can say is that I can't think of anything we would have done differently in this case," said Long.
Emotions, which had been held in check during the three-day trial at the St. Francis County Courthouse, finally poured from relatives of the children on the parking lot of the courthouse.
"I don't see how they could listen to that boy get up on the stand and tell what that man did to him and say that he is not guilty," said the boy's mother. "I just hope that those folks can sleep at night after they read in the paper that he's done this again, because he will, and they let him go," she said.
"Mr. Long said during his closing arguments that if they didn't find him guilty then the children could never be safe because of people like him, and they (the jury) didn't listen to that at all. Our children won't ever feel safe after what they just did," said the girl's mother.
Easley was accused in January of assaulting the six-year-old boy at Easley's home in Colt. While he was free on bond, the second charge of rape was brought against him in a case that allegedly happened in late 1999 or early 2000. Easley's attorney Randal Miller asserted throughout the trial that the charges were due to fabrications from the family of the girl and the boy.
According to Miller, Easley's family was elated with outcome of the trial.
"I really think that justice was served in this case. During something like this you really get to know the family that you're working with, and I truly believe that he did not commit the crime," said Miller.
"If he had been found guilty of this, at his age any sentence would have been a life sentence for him and the family was definitely pleased with the outcome."
During testimony last week, the boy testified that Easley had
sexually assaulted him in the living room of his home. Easley
said that the accusation was untrue and that he referred to the
child as his "little buddy". According to testimony,
Easley hunted and fished with the fathers of both children and
was friends of both families prior to the allegations of abuse.
With the proposed millage increase looming there are several questions and several misconceptions pertaining to this issue.
"We are getting several calls a day from people who are concerned about this issue and here are some commonly asked questions and answers," said St. Francis County Assessor Craig Jones.
According to Jones, the answers to some of the most-often asked questions are as follows:
*Why is the school board asking for more millage?
"Amendment 74 requires maintenance and operation to be at 25 mills," said Jones. "At the current time, Forrest City is at 18 mills and Hughes is at 23.78 mills. The proposal on the ballot asks voters to restructure the debt service and vote for a 1.5 mill increase in Forrest City and .73 mil increase in Hughes."
He said there will be complications if the voters vote down the millage in either school district.
"If you vote against the millage increase you also vote against the restructuring of the debt service, resulting in a 7 mill increase in Forrest City and a 1.22 mill increase in Hughes. These increases must be implemented by the St. Francis County Quorum Court to comply with the Constitution of the State of Arkansas," he said.
*Why didn't the school boards ask for the increase last year?
Over half the school districts in the state are asking for an increase in millage due to the Arkansas Supreme Court's decision to back a lower court's decision in the Lake View School District case, Jones said.
"This case was decided late in 2002 and the school districts did not know of the court's decision at the time of their millage elections because the court's decision had not arrived yet."
*Will the proposed millage hike cause taxes to increase for people who are over 65 or disabled and have the so-called "tax freeze?"
The answer, according to Jones, is yes.
"The state's term 'tax freeze' is misleading; it should be called a value freeze," he said. "The value is set by the reappraisal company and if you have the 'freeze' your value cannot increase due to appraisal, however, any millage increase will affect your taxes and cause them to increase.
*Will the millage increase affect personal and business personal property?
Yes, "The millage increase will go on all taxable property including vehicles, business inventory, farm equipment, boats, etc.," he said.
Will the tax increase, due to the millage, be phased in like the reappraisal increase?
"No," said Jones. "If your taxes go up $150 it will go on all at once, payable next year. Reappraisal increases are protected by Amendment 79 and will go up either 5 percent or 10 per cent a year.
*On a house that is appraised at $50,000, what would be the tax increase and what is the percentage of the increase if 1.5 or 7.0 mills are implemented in Forrest City; or .78 or 1.22 are implemented in Hughes?
If you live in a home appraised at $50,00, in Forrest City, 1.5 mills will mean an increase of $15 or about 3 percent. A 7.0 mill increase will mean in increase of $70, or aaobut 16 percent, according to Jones.
In Hughes (still figuring on a house appraised at $50,000), 0.78 mills will cause an increase of $7.80 or about 2 percent. An increase of 1.22 mills mean an increase of $12.20 or about 3 percent, he said.
"I am not supporting either the 1.5 or 7 mill increase in Forrest City nor the .78 or 1.22 mil increase in Hughes, and it does not matter to me which one is passed or not passed," said Jones.
"I just wanted to share some commonly asked questions that the taxpayers of St. Francis County have, and as assessor I feel it is obligation to the taxpayer to explain and give as much information as I know.
"The basic rule in this situation is if you want a smaller
tax increase on your tax bill next year vote for the millage,
if you want a greater tax increase on your tax bill next year
vote against the millage increase. Either way you vote
your taxes will be more next year. I believe that the citizens
of the county, when informed with facts and not speculation, will
do what is best for them. Any taxpayer that has questions regarding
this issue is welcome to come by the office or call me at 261-1720
or at 1-800-203-0211."
A Forrest City woman was kidnapped and repeatedly raped after she left her home walking to a neighborhood convenience store Saturday night.
The 35-year-old victim told officers with the Forrest City Police Department that she was living with family members in the public housing units on Rice Street when she decided to walk to a convenience store located on West Broadway about 9:45 p.m.
According to the report, the victim stated she was approaching Dawson Road when a car, driven by a black male that she recognized, stopped and asked her where her husband was, and she responded that he was at home.
The subject then allegedly opened the car door and pulled her into the vehicle where he held her down and sped away to an area the victim told police she was not familiar with. She reported they drove for about 10 minutes before he stopped the car and allowed her to get up before he tore her clothes off and forced sexual intercourse with her.
According to the police report, when the suspect finished the attack, he allegedly pulled her nude body from the car and forced her into the trunk before he drove away again. The victim claims to have been locked in the trunk for several hours, and admitted that she thought she passed out while in there.
Police said the suspect then stopped the vehicle once again, took the victim out of the trunk and reportedly raped her while repeatedly stabbing her in the legs with a small pointed object that she described as a tire tread measuring device.
Following the last attack, the suspect reportedly drove the victim back to the area of her Rice Street home and let her out of the car.
She was then taken by her husband to Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest
City where she was treated and released.
A 10-year-old boy disobeying his mother ended up in the hospital Saturday with burns to his face.
The Forrest City Police Department reported LaDarius Tobar, 10, 102 Truman, Forrest City, was playing with fireworks outside his home when his mother told him to put them away.
According to the report, Tina Tobar, 27, told police that soon after she told the boy to put the fireworks up, he came running back into the house crying with burns to his face. She transported the child to the emergency room at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Forrest City and he was later transferred to Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center in Memphis with second-degree burns to his face and eyes. Le Bonheur officials said the boy is listed in good condition today at the hospital.
The Kids and Horses in the Park program will be held at Village Creek State Park on Saturday, Sept. 13, from 12 to 2 p.m. in the North Campground.
VCSP invites children who are interested to experience horseback riding at the park. Staff will offer the riding and refreshments.
For more information, including fees to participate, call the park at 870-238-9406.
St. Francis County residents have cast 106 votes so far in the early voting session for several school board races and a millage increase in the Forrest City and Hughes School Districts.
In Forrest City, the only contested race is between incumbent Wayne Jones, who is being challenged by Pat Flanagin for Position 2 on the Forrest City School Board.
Early voting is being held from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the SFC County Clerk's office Monday through Friday, until Monday, Sept. 15. The election will be held that following Tuesday, Sept. 16, from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at various polling locations throughout the county.
The Forrest City School Board will hold its first meeting in the new Forrest City Junior High School tonight.
The meeting, which will be held in the school's library, will begin at 5:30 p.m. Board members will hear an update on work at the Junior High School and will also discuss repairs to roofs at Central, Caldwell and Stewart elementary schools and the band hall at Forrest City High School.
Under new business, board members will hear gasoline and diesel bids, the annual report to the public and budgets for special education, federal programs and the district operating budget for the 2003/2004 fiscal year.
Also tonight, at 6 p.m. the Forrest City Airport Commission will meet as will the Widener City Council. At 7:30 p.m. the Hughes City Council will hold their monthly meeting.
On Tuesday, at 2 p.m. the Forrest City Advertising and Promotions Committee will meet at the Forrest City Area Chamber of Commerce and the Water Commission will meet at 5:30 p.m. at the Forrest City Water Department. At 4:30 p.m. the St. Francis County Transportation Committee will meet in the Quorum Courtroom at the SFC Courthouse and the Caldwell and Palestine City Councils will meet.
Later this week, the Colt and Wheatley City Councils will also hold their monthly meetings.