Judge dismisses assault charge against sheriff, allows case to proceed on robbery charge

Judge Gary Kamp dismissed an assault charge against embattled Mississippi County Sheriff Cory Hutcheson but bound him over to stand trial in circuit court on a first-degree robbery charge.

Kamp’s ruling Tuesday followed a preliminary hearing in Mississippi County Circuit Court before a standing-room-only crowd.

After a second hearing against Hutcheson, which followed the first hearing, the judge took under advisement charges alleging the sheriff illegally “pinged” the cellphones of a judge and several law-enforcement officers in violation of state law.

As to the second case, Hutcheson faces seven felony counts of forgery, seven misdemeanor counts of tampering with computer data and a misdemeanor count of notary misconduct.

The Missouri Attorney General’s Office filed the charges in April and since has gone to court to oust Hutcheson from office permanently.

Testimony in the first hearing centered on allegations Hutcheson assaulted Bonnie Woods at an East Prairie, Missouri, beauty shop where she worked.

He was accused of handcuffing the 77-year-old Woods so hard, her wrist bled after she refused to give Hutcheson his sister-in-law’s paycheck.

His sister-in-law, Kasey Hall, is a former employee of the beauty shop and had developed plans to open a competing shop, according to the narrative disclosed at the hearing.

Woods testified she was told by shop owner Joyce Baltrusaitis, who is her sister, she was not supposed to give Hall her check until the former employee had returned her client-appointment sheets.

In questioning from assistant attorney general Gregory Goodwin, serving as special prosecutor, Woods said Hutcheson came to the beauty shop March 24 to pick up Hall’s check.

She said the sheriff subsequently said he was arresting her in regards to allegations Woods previously had assaulted Hall.

“I said, ‘Cory, I didn’t do anything,’” she told the court.

Woods said after he handcuffed her left hand, she resisted his efforts to handcuff her right hand. She testified Hutcheson subsequently removed the handcuff, grabbed the check out of her hand and gave her the requested paperwork showing Hall’s clients.

Woods said the incident resulted in bleeding to her left hand.

She said she sought medical care at a Sikeston, Missouri, hospital and ended up being taken by ambulance to Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau after suffering a mild heart attack.

She said she spent three days in the hospital.

During cross examination, defense attorney Scott Rosenblum asked Woods whether she remembered an altercation with Hall at the shop March 22.

Woods initially said she did not remember such an incident but later testified she did not touch Hall.

Timothy Craig, a criminal investigator with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, testified he investigated the incident involving Woods. He said he interviewed Woods and Hutcheson.

Under cross-examination, he said he did not interview Hall.

In the second hearing, prosecution witnesses Judge David Dolan and Highway Patrol officers Jeremy S. Stoelting, William “Bud” Cooper, Jay Holcomb, Jeffery Johnson and David Patton said they never gave Hutcheson permission to use a computer program at the sheriff’s department to ping their cellphones to determine their locations.

Keith Moore was Mississippi County sheriff when the FBI began investigating the case, according to court testimony.

Moore said Hutcheson worked for him as a jailer and later as Mississippi County Jail administrator.

Hutcheson ran for sheriff in 2016 and won.

Moore said he also never gave Hutcheson permission to ping his phone or anyone else’s.

FBI special agent Dan Zwiesler testified earlier in the hearing Hutcheson said he had acted on Moore’s orders.

Moore said he first learned of the situation in 2014 when he was contacted by the FBI.

He said he subsequently discussed the matter with Hutcheson.

Under cross-examination, Moore said he never disciplined or suspended Hutcheson for pinging his or others’ cellphones.

“I didn’t understand why he did it,” Moore said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641