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