Post by WaTcHeR on Feb 9, 2007 12:26:00 GMT -5
Jackson County jury on Thursday convicted a 69-year-old Kansas City woman of shoving a police officer and resisting arrest but refused to jail her.
The racially charged case of Louise Jones got national attention two years ago, when an officer discharged a Taser at her. It happened in a melee that began after police tried to ticket the woman for honking her car’s horn.
After finding Jones guilty on Thursday, jurors fined her $250 for attempted infliction of bodily injury and $400 for resisting arrest.
The incident occurred June 15, 2004, when Officers Cory Le Moine and Ryan VanDeusen responded to a domestic disturbance call near 51st Street and Euclid Avenue, where Jones and her husband live.
The officers said they were cruising the street slowly, watching for trouble.
Jones was in her Cadillac, with her sister as a passenger. They were right behind the police car when she accidentally tooted her horn and then pulled into her driveway.
Police, spooked by the horn, parked and asked Jones whether she had called them. She said no; some other things are in dispute.
Police say Jones stayed outside cursing them after they walked down the street. Jones said she only commented to her sister and a woman neighbor that police would not be threatening a senior citizen with a horn honking ticket in a rich white neighborhood.
Le Moine said he returned and asked Jones for her license to write her a ticket. She refused to give it to him and went in her house, he said.
But Jones said the officer didn’t ask for her license outside and instead came to her door and demanded it. She says she demanded to know why, and the officer came in and started trying to handcuff her.
The officer said Jones shoved him and he started trying to arrest her for assault. At some point, the other officer discharged a Taser at her, but the prongs missed.
Police threw Jones to the floor and started to cuff her. Her husband, Fred Jones, woke up, came downstairs and tried to pull an officer off and got thrown to the floor and cuffed.
Two years ago, Jones and her husband, now 78, were convicted and sentenced to probation by a municipal judge.
Fred Jones appealed his conviction for interfering in her arrest, and senior Jackson County Judge Lee Wells recently dismissed the case on legal technicalities. Another city judge previously dismissed the horn honking ticket.
Louise Jones also appealed, and the case was retried this week in Jackson County Circuit Court. On Thursday, assistant city prosecutor Melody Cockrell asked for one weekend in jail on each count and an unspecified fine for each count, but said of the jail time: “I’m not arguing strenuously for it.”
After the verdicts, Cockrell said she was pleased with a fair verdict and a fair outcome.
Defense lawyer Basil North said: “We don’t think she should have been convicted of anything.” He said he will consider whether to appeal.
www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/16657521.htm
The racially charged case of Louise Jones got national attention two years ago, when an officer discharged a Taser at her. It happened in a melee that began after police tried to ticket the woman for honking her car’s horn.
After finding Jones guilty on Thursday, jurors fined her $250 for attempted infliction of bodily injury and $400 for resisting arrest.
The incident occurred June 15, 2004, when Officers Cory Le Moine and Ryan VanDeusen responded to a domestic disturbance call near 51st Street and Euclid Avenue, where Jones and her husband live.
The officers said they were cruising the street slowly, watching for trouble.
Jones was in her Cadillac, with her sister as a passenger. They were right behind the police car when she accidentally tooted her horn and then pulled into her driveway.
Police, spooked by the horn, parked and asked Jones whether she had called them. She said no; some other things are in dispute.
Police say Jones stayed outside cursing them after they walked down the street. Jones said she only commented to her sister and a woman neighbor that police would not be threatening a senior citizen with a horn honking ticket in a rich white neighborhood.
Le Moine said he returned and asked Jones for her license to write her a ticket. She refused to give it to him and went in her house, he said.
But Jones said the officer didn’t ask for her license outside and instead came to her door and demanded it. She says she demanded to know why, and the officer came in and started trying to handcuff her.
The officer said Jones shoved him and he started trying to arrest her for assault. At some point, the other officer discharged a Taser at her, but the prongs missed.
Police threw Jones to the floor and started to cuff her. Her husband, Fred Jones, woke up, came downstairs and tried to pull an officer off and got thrown to the floor and cuffed.
Two years ago, Jones and her husband, now 78, were convicted and sentenced to probation by a municipal judge.
Fred Jones appealed his conviction for interfering in her arrest, and senior Jackson County Judge Lee Wells recently dismissed the case on legal technicalities. Another city judge previously dismissed the horn honking ticket.
Louise Jones also appealed, and the case was retried this week in Jackson County Circuit Court. On Thursday, assistant city prosecutor Melody Cockrell asked for one weekend in jail on each count and an unspecified fine for each count, but said of the jail time: “I’m not arguing strenuously for it.”
After the verdicts, Cockrell said she was pleased with a fair verdict and a fair outcome.
Defense lawyer Basil North said: “We don’t think she should have been convicted of anything.” He said he will consider whether to appeal.
www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/local/16657521.htm