County prosecutor guilty of assaulting highway patrolman

SHELBYVILLE, Mo. -- In what attorneys believe to be a statewide first, a jury has found the Shelby County prosecutor guilty of assaulting a member of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Following a one-day trial that ended just after midnight on Wednesday, the jury convicted Prosecuting Attorney Steve Raymond of third-degree assault, recommending a fine of up to $1,000 and no jail sentence.

Attorneys trying the case, as well as other legal professionals, said they believe Raymond, 50, is the first county prosecutor in the state to stand trial for assaulting a law enforcement officer.

The incident, which took place in January 2001, "was a misunderstanding between the two fellows," said Milt Harper, Raymond's attorney.

The incident involves Trooper Cory Craig of the Highway Patrol. Capt. Ron Replogle, the director of Craig's unit, said there are no plans to move the trooper to a different part of the state.