Former Missouri House speaker charged with assault turns self in, denies guilt

Click here to download the complaint against Jetton and the probable cause affidavit in PDF format. WARNING: The documents contain references to sexual activity that may not be appropriate for some audiences.

UPDATE 12:10 p.m.

The attorney for former Missouri Speaker of the House Rod Jetton, Stephen C. Wilson, said Jetton turned himself in to authorities in Cole County, Mo., Monday night. Wilson said Jetton actually had to visit the sheriff's department there twice -- authorities in Cole County had to acquire the arrest warrant from Scott County before they could take Jetton into custody, so he made an initial visit and returned when the warrant arrived. Wilson said Jetton posted bond, and a Scott County court date is set for Jan. 6 for an initial appearance.

In a written statement Wilson provided to the Southeast Missourian and other media outlets, Wilson said Jetton denies he's guilty of the alleged assault he's been charged with.

"Mr. Jetton was shocked and surprised when first advised of the allegation made against him," the statement reads. "Now that a complaint is filed in court, Mr. Jetton's only comments are that he is not guilty, and will vigorously defend this allegation in court and not in the media."

Original story

BENTON, Mo. -- Former speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives Rod Jetton was charged Monday by Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd with second-degree assault for an incident that allegedly happened at a residence in Sikeston, Mo., last month.

According to a probable-cause affidavit by Sikeston Department of Public Safety Detective Bethany McDermott, Jetton, 42, of Marble Hill, Mo., allegedly struck a woman in the face and choked her during sexual intercourse at her home on the night of Nov. 15.

According to the complaint filed with the court, Jetton "recklessly caused serious physical injury" to the victim "by hitting her on the head, and choking her resulting in unconsciousness and the loss of the function of a part of her body."

Jetton was a state representative for the 156th District from 2001 to 2009. He was speaker of the Missouri House of Representatives from 2005 to 2009, when he left because of term limits. He has been working as a political consultant with a company called Rod Jetton & Associates.

An arrest warrant was issued Monday. A woman who answered the phone at the Scott County Sheriff's Office said that Jetton was not yet in police custody early Monday night. Bond was set at $2,500 cash or surety. The charge carries a maximum punishment of seven years in jail and a $5,000 fine.

In the probable-cause affidavit, McDermott said the alleged victim and Jetton had discussed meeting for sex the day of the alleged assault. The victim said she and Jetton had never dated nor been in a relationship, according to the affidavit. Jetton allegedly arrived at the victim's home the night of Nov. 15 with two bottles of wine. The victim said Jetton poured her a glass of wine outside of her line of sight and said when she finished the glass of wine while watching a football game she "began 'fading' in and out and remembered losing consciousness several times during the evening," McDermott wrote in the affidavit. The victim said she remembers Jetton hitting her in the face "very hard" and that at one point she awoke lying on the floor to Jetton choking her.

The victim also reported having "blank spots in her memory," according to the probable-cause affidavit, that she'd not experienced before even while drinking.

Jetton stayed the night at the victim's house, left the next morning and hasn't returned since, McDermott wrote. Police observed several bruises on the victim following the incident, McDermott wrote.

Jetton and his wife, Cassandra Elaine Jetton, were divorced in October, according to court documents.

A call to Jetton's cell phone was not immediately answered. A call to the Sikeston Department of Public Safety was directed to the city attorney, Chuck Leible, who was not available Monday evening.

Jetton faced criticism earlier this year for his work against legislation favored by utilities to help build new power plants. His consulting firm set up an opposition group and warned electric customers to be wary of the bill.

That prompted a heated argument on the Senate floor about Jetton's activities. The legislation never cleared the Senate.

During the 2008 campaign, Republican Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder criticized Jetton for working as a political consultant for three Republican state senators and a Republican House member while simultaneously serving as House leader.

Two years earlier, the Missouri Ethics Commission had said that no law prohibited such an arrangement but expressed "serious concerns" about the ability of a lawmaker-consultant to avoid legal violations and "about the appearance of impropriety" associated with it.

In 2004, when Jetton was the No. 2-ranking House official, he heckled Democratic Gov. Bob Holden during the State of the State speech, yelling: "Release the money, governor!"

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

msanders@semissourian.com

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