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Jessica White
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Crane city alderwoman Jessica White entered an Alford plea to charges of assault of a law enforcement officer.


The incident stemmed from an unrelated arrest the deputies were making in the driveway of the White's home in May of 2012.  The White's claim they were told they could not enter their home and when one of the deputies talked in a disparaging manner to Jessica White - Jordan White told him not to talk to his wife that way and the incident escalated.

A federal lawsuit named former deputy Brandon Flack, Deputy Taylor Jenkins, Stone County Missouri, former Sheriff Richard Hill, and the Stone County Commission as defendants.  

According to those documents, "Sheriff Hill has trained, and/or allowed others to train, his deputies to use force, so as to create, and/or try to create, an atmosphere of “fear” to Stone County residents and citizens, in their interactions with Stone County deputies."

Other allegations said Hill offered "inadequate training and instruction of employees on the proper use of police power, proper investigation, proper initiation of criminal charges, proper use of force, and arrests," and that Hill allowed others to alter investigative reports.

The White's former attorney Dale Wiley, who claimed police brutality in the White's arrests released a tape that was taken during the melee showing Donnie White and Jordan White being Tasered repeatedly. Former Sheriff Richard Hill, Flack, Jenkins, et al (and others) filed a defamation lawsuit against the White's and Wiley.  That case was dismissed without prejudice.

Flack has been named in several other lawsuits that allege he used excessive force while making arrests.

Jessica White suffered a knee injury that required surgery and, Jordan and Donnie White were also injured in the incident, according to court documents.  The county settled the federal lawsuit for $100,000 a few months ago.

"The White family would like to express their gratitude to everyone in the community for all of their support during this long and trying ordeal," said attorney Stuart Huffman.  "They are grateful that they can close this chapter of their lives and be able to move forward."

Jordan White and his father Donnie White also entered Alford pleas to charges of resisting arrest.  They, like Jessica White, were placed on two years unsupervised probation.

An Alford plea is not an admission of guilt.  Instead, it means that the parties involved admit that the state probably would have enough evidence to secure a conviction if the case were to proceed to trial.

Huffman says, "The Whites along with their attorneys feel the officer's behavior or actions was excessive and unprofessional."

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very odd that someone who repeatedly said "I didn't do anything wrong" would enter any kind of plea other than not guilty. As I said from the beginning, the White family saw a chance at making a little money off the taxpayers, and wouldn't you know it happened.... Unreal

Lezlie said...

In reference to "Anonymous": First of all, it is disgusting to me for anyone to comment on something they know NOTHING about, and then be too much of a coward, to state their NAME. WERE YOU THERE? Obviously not, or you would know what you were talking about. I WAS THERE! From the beginning, she did NOT EVER deny hitting the officer. My son DID NOT resist arrest, nor did his father. Tell me something...how would you like to spend 21 hours in jail, for something that should have never happened in the first place. Because you happened to come home right when a traffic stop happened at the bottom of your driveway. Or how would you like to have your mugshots and name plastered all over the news, because you HAPPENED to come home at the wrong time? Or have your face look like raw meat, because you HAPPENED to come home at the wrong time. I can tell you this, and my name is Lezlie Edmondson, if I had been standing in the carport, I would have probably done the same thing she did! And I can also tell you that there is no amount of money that could make up for what they went through, because they HAPPENED to come home at the wrong time! You and your comment disgust me!

Anonymous said...

in all fairness to the family with the way some of the verdicts have been turning out in this country I can't say as if I blame them one bit for avoiding a trial. They received a settlement which clearly states some admission of wrong doing by the county, and if the word is true the family did so out of court so im not sure money was the motivation at all. Flack is gone, so is Hill. I believe the truth was told.....long ago!

Anonymous said...

Ive followd this story from day one and heres the bottom line: The Whites video wasnt as powerful to them as they thought. it incriminated Jessica. she never denied hitting officer. and did not capture what led up to the video. i myself believe the cops did something to spur the recording. you dont just pick a fight with cops then record the back end of it. so i believe that at the very worst the family is guilty of being "drunk" if you will. on there own property. which by the way is perfectly legal and at the very least they were victims of police brutality. a video that doesnt capture the beginning of the incident leaves alot of your word vs the cops. im guessing due to this the most logical thing to do was take the slap on the wrist and the money and wash your hands of the incident. So here's the bottom line Jessica white hits cop on video and wont get around that. the other two were charged with resisting arrest. the video did CLEARLY show that both were taken down violently and were in no way resisting arrest. hopefully the family can put this behind them and move on and hopefully one can have a few drinks on their own property and not be subjected to such trouble from law enforcement in stone county. having a bbq with some drinks is not illegal folks.

Anonymous said...

You going stand there while a cop beats and stuns your family,yes because your an coward!

Anonymous said...

yall can't fuck wit the POLICE.... yall can't fuck wit the POLICE....

Anonymous said...

The whites are just "White Trash". They always have been and always will be. "Inbred is as Inbred does."

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