Four sex crime trials pending

Four cases involving sex crimes against children are pending before the Bourbon County District Court and appear to be headed for jury trial.

The court has already set a trial date for two of the four cases. The nearest upcoming case is the trial of Jerry L. Clements, Fort Scott, which is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. Tuesday. Clements is accused of inappropriately fondling and raping a 6-year-old girl. If convicted of all counts, which include felony counts of rape, aggravated indecent liberties and aggravated indecent solicitation of a child, he could spend a maximum of 86 years or a minimum of 19 years in prison.

The next of the four trials on the docket is scheduled for March 27. David Shockey, Fort Scott, is battling allegations that he had sexual intercourse with a 9-year old girl a number of times in 2005 inside his bedroom at a residence on Horton Street. The trial was originally scheduled for Jan. 16, but the court granted a continuance filed by Shockey's attorney. If convicted on the two counts of rape, he would receive a life sentence in prison.

A trial date is expected to be set in a pretrial conference conducted on Jan. 18 for the state's case against Paul S. Johnson, Fort Scott. Johnson was charged with one count each of aggravated criminal sodomy and criminal sodomy on a 15-year-old girl. Other charges against him include 11 counts of aggravated indecent liberties with a child.

Johnson is vigorously defending the allegations. His attorney asked then District Judge Gerald Hart to suppress all statements Johnson made to Fort Scott police on April 19. According to Johnson, the police didn't advise him of his rights, but Hart denied the motion.

George Woodward of McCune, and Edward Thomas of Deerfield, Mo. are both awaiting pending preliminary hearings on rape charges. Woodward's hearing was scheduled for December but was pushed back to Feb. 16, because he had to attend a divorce hearing in Crawford County. Woodward is charged with raping a then 15-year-old girl in 2005.

Thomas' hearing has been continued numerous times during the last year, mainly as a result of DNA evidence not being ready. He is accused of having sex with a 16-year-old girl in 2005.