The trial for Sheldon Alston, Jr. was continued yet again in Lafayette County Circuit Court. A Lafayette County grand jury indicted Sheldon Alston, Jr., for aggravated domestic violence and kidnapping in June, 2017. The indictment accuses Alston of strangling and kidnapping his girlfriend on September 7-8, 2016 while he was a student at Ole Miss. Alston faces prison sentences of 1 yr-to-life or 30 years for kidnapping, and from 2-to-20 years for aggravated domestic violence if convicted. Alston is 22 years old.
The trial was scheduled to take place during the October term of the Lafayette County Circuit Court. However, October came and went with no trial taking place for Alston just as happened in July, April, and January. The District Attorney is Ben Creekmore. The case is assigned to Judge Andrew Howorth. JJ is withholding the victim's name from publication. Alston, Jr. is the grandson of prominent north Mississippi attorneys Flip Phillips and Alex Alston.
The victim is also pursuing a civil case against Alston in Hinds County Circuit Court. The complaint provides more details about the brutality she alleges took place that horrible night in September. The complaint and its gruesome allegations can be read in this earlier post.
Kingfish note: The Hinds County civil case was assigned to Circuit Judge Bill Gowan. However, Judge Gowan retired on March 31. The case was assigned to Circuit Judge Joseph Sclafini but he recused himself since he was employed at the Brunini Grantham Grower & Hewes law firm when he assumed his seat on the bench. Alston's father is a partner at the firm.
15 comments:
Me thinks me smells something fishy.
Is John Grisham's book out yet? Network mini-series?
A legitimate bird cage liner would publish the story, but with a footnote that the suspect's father is their attorney.
I am a former ADA. Everyone who has worked as a prosecutor understands that if you continue something enough times, eventually the case disintegrates enough that the DA can let the accused plead to a lesser offense and use the excuse of unavailable witnesses, lost evidence, etc.
Looks like Creekmore's bread has been buttered.
The lack of coverage by the CL, given its coverage to other, similar (but not as bad, typically), stories is appalling. This is a very fair criticism of the CL. And I am not anti-CL.
@ 11:35 What can the public do to make sure this isn't continued out of existence?
I would guess that the families are trying to come up with enough money to pay the victim not to pursue the civil suit, and at the same time to refuse to testify against the defendant. As the bargaining proceeds, the families have enough stroke with the DA to have the criminal trial continued.
Everything keys on the fact that prominent wealthy people are pulling strings and calling in, or creating, IOUs.
Horrible. Thank you for staying on this story.
The Alston's are not helping their son by protecting him from the consequences of his actions .
They should talk to the Bells about the dangers of overly protecting a very troubled offspring.
I seriously doubt this is the first time they've kept him out of trouble and am certain, given their strategy, it won't be the last.
I think it’s fake news. She didn’t get hurt. She made it up. Totally fake news.
I wonder how different this story may have been if the victim was an Alston....
The kidnapping charge alone is enough to get him 20 years. Again, I say that attorneys are allowed to live under a different set of laws than we do. If this were someone who didn’t have the connections that his family has then it would be over by now and the young woman would have justice. But, if it were my daughter, he wouldn’t be found. No body....no case.
11:35 I, likewise am a former ADA and continuance are the main ploy for defense attorneys when they feel strongly their client will be found guilty and will use any excuse, true or untrue, to get a contiuance. All on the idea they are just representing their client. Not all defense are like this but the vast majority that I have dealt with throw ethics out the window on criminal defense, more particularly, public defenders
The lack of commenting/interest on this post shows the delay tactics are working. Kingfish, it looks like it is time to ratchet up the coverage of this case! As we all know from past abuse cases, his next victim may not escape with her life. If he gets away with a slap on his wrist there will be blood on many hands for the handling (and non-coverage) of this case.
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