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Guard Out on Bond, Woman He Allegedly Raped Jailed Beyond Her Sentence
Platte County (Wyoming) Detention Center control clerk Jeremy King was charged with two counts of second-degree felony sexual assault for having sex with a female Jamaican prisoner convicted of federal drug offenses. The woman, who was not named, had served her entire sentence and probation period in jail but was still being held as a witness. King, who pleaded not guilty on September 19, 2005, was free on bond.
In a hearing held November 14, 2005 before 8th Judicial District Judge John C. Brooks, Kings attorney, William Disney, argued in favor of the womans continued incarceration in the Goshen County Detention Center while King awaited his February 28, 2006 trial date. Special Prosecutor Robert Reese asked the judge to let the woman videotape a deposition for use during trial and then release her to be deported to Jamaica. The woman has a 3-year-old child who is in her sisters care, but her sister is about to be deployed to Afghanistan. Thus, said Reese, it would be unfair to keep the woman imprisoned.
Brooks agreed that it would be unfair to continue to incarcerate the woman pending a trial in which she is the alleged victim. Therefore, Brooks told Disney to choose between an accelerated trial date in Dec. 2005, or taking videotaped depositions with the opportunity to cross-examine the woman during one of the depositions. Kings lawyer picked the latter, and the female prisoner was duly deposed and then deported.
On March 1, 2006, a jury found King not guilty of the sexual assault charges despite police testimony that he admitted to having sex with the female prisoner, which he said was consensual. Platte County Attorney Eric Alden said he found the notion of a guard having sex with a prisoner shocking. This is not a dating service, this is a jail, he stated.
Another Platte County Detention Center employee, Glenn Dunham, 37, was also charged with second-degree sexual assault and one count of mistreating a prisoner. He has not yet gone to trial. Both King and Dunham were fired in 2004, and three former female prisoners have since filed notice that they intend to sue the county.
Sources: Casper Star-Tribune, Associated Press.
In a hearing held November 14, 2005 before 8th Judicial District Judge John C. Brooks, Kings attorney, William Disney, argued in favor of the womans continued incarceration in the Goshen County Detention Center while King awaited his February 28, 2006 trial date. Special Prosecutor Robert Reese asked the judge to let the woman videotape a deposition for use during trial and then release her to be deported to Jamaica. The woman has a 3-year-old child who is in her sisters care, but her sister is about to be deployed to Afghanistan. Thus, said Reese, it would be unfair to keep the woman imprisoned.
Brooks agreed that it would be unfair to continue to incarcerate the woman pending a trial in which she is the alleged victim. Therefore, Brooks told Disney to choose between an accelerated trial date in Dec. 2005, or taking videotaped depositions with the opportunity to cross-examine the woman during one of the depositions. Kings lawyer picked the latter, and the female prisoner was duly deposed and then deported.
On March 1, 2006, a jury found King not guilty of the sexual assault charges despite police testimony that he admitted to having sex with the female prisoner, which he said was consensual. Platte County Attorney Eric Alden said he found the notion of a guard having sex with a prisoner shocking. This is not a dating service, this is a jail, he stated.
Another Platte County Detention Center employee, Glenn Dunham, 37, was also charged with second-degree sexual assault and one count of mistreating a prisoner. He has not yet gone to trial. Both King and Dunham were fired in 2004, and three former female prisoners have since filed notice that they intend to sue the county.
Sources: Casper Star-Tribune, Associated Press.
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