|
News and Press Releases
: 2010 |
Previous Years:
|
from The Paris News:
Press Releases:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | February
26, 2010
White supremacist gets 38 years in hate crime robbery
A Paris man who has spent the better part of his adult life
behind bars Friday admitted he committed a hate crime and received
38 years in prison in a plea bargain with prosecutors.
Jeffery Lee Rogers, 32, was accused in two cases of aggravated
robbery from October and November 2009. One of the victims was
an African-American man and police reports state he was targeted
as a victim because of his ethnicity.
Rogers is an admitted member of the Aryan Circle white supremacist
prison gang. Tattoos on a significant portion of his body depicting
various insignias, logos, and phrases were used to identify him
as a white supremacist and led to the hate crime enhancement,
said Gary Young, Lamar County and District Attorney.
"There was no two ways about it. By the defendant's own
admission, it was a clear case of choosing a victim because he
was African-American," Young said.
Paris police reports state Rogers held a knife to a man's
throat after hours in a west Paris bookstore and demanded the
victim write out a bill of sale signing over his car to Rogers.
A witness told police Rogers then gave back a white male property
he had taken at knifepoint and said he robbed the African-American
male "because he was black."
Rogers has previous convictions and spent time in prison for
attempted capital murder, burglary and a federal weapons charge.
Due to the hate crime enhancement and a deadly weapon finding,
Rogers must spend one-half his sentence in prison before becoming
eligible for parole.
He was represented by Paris attorney Jennifer Gibo.
Appeals court denies former trooper’s
request
By Bill Hankins
The Paris
News
Published February 10, 2010
The 6th District Court of Appeals in Texarkana has backed
a Lamar County trial court in its conviction and sentence of
former Department of Public Service trooper John Raymond Cross.
Cross had appealed his theft of property conviction and twenty-year
sentence on charges he took $128,000 from an elderly Lamar County
man under false pretenses.
Cross told the man he needed the money for business ventures
but instead used it to further his gambling habit.
In his appeal, Cross had challenged his indictment as being
invalid because of errors in that indictment. He also claimed
the evidence against him was insufficient to support the verdict.
Appeals court justices said they found no fundamental errors
in the indictment and that the evidence was sufficient for Cross’
conviction.
The appeals court affirmed the judgment of the trial court.
Bill Harris, first assistant Lamar County and District Attorney,
who prosecuted the case, said: “He used his position as
a retired state trooper to take advantage of the victim and betrayed
the public trust we rightfully put in law enforcement. He deserves
to spend every single day of his 20-year sentence in prison.”
“We repeatedly see jurors in Lamar County who fairly
weigh the evidence and put a lot of time and thought into their
deliberations. Juries here don’t take their jobs lightly
and it’s encouraging to know the appeals court saw what
the jury saw,” said Lamar County and District Attorney Gary
Young.
CAC of Texas lauds local prosecutor
Staff Report
Published January 9, 2010
Most often, the people who help children of abuse are behind
the scenes as part of a team working toward the same goals. In
Paris, the Children’s Advocacy Center facilitates that team
for Lamar and Red River Counties.
One of those team members, Jill Drake, Lamar County assistant
county and district attorney, has been recognized at the state
level for her efforts.
The Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas Inc., recently
awarded Drake with a Professional Team Excellence Award.
“A cooperative working relationship is of utmost importance
when it comes to helping children of abuse and seeing justice
done to their perpetrators,” said Mitzi White, local CAC
executive director. “We are blessed to have an incredible
multidisciplinary team (MDT), and Jill Drake is crucial to that
working properly.”
With the help of CAC forensic interviewers, law enforcement,
Child Protective Services, sexual assault nurses, local counselors
and other advocates, Drake forges ahead with prosecuting child
abusers, White said.
White and local CAC staff members Rebecca Peevy, Rebecca Wells-Tyndell
and Angela Crawford nominated Drake for the award.
“Jill actively looks for methods to make each victim
feel comfortable in court preparation and testimony,” the
nomination read. “Jill meets with each victim multiple times
to establish rapport and ensure the process is as clear and familiar
as possible to reduce any further trauma or revictimization.”
White said Drake provides encouragement to local law enforcement
to conduct thorough investigations to create a solid foundation
for successful prosecution. She also researches to ensure the
MDT is kept abreast and prepared for changes as they occur in
criminal law.
“Twelve plea bargains and three convictions with only
one hung jury regarding sex offenders in Lamar County this past
year speaks for the results she is supporting us in achieving,”
White said.
“Jill keeps the group abreast of her office’s activity
regarding each case. In working with the children, she carefully
chooses her wording to assure the language is developmentally
appropriate for each child testifying,” White said. “She
utilizes our CAC and staff to aid her in establishing a child-friendly
environment for her to get to know the victims.”
Drake practiced family law in North Carolina in the 1980s.
She spent time as a public defender in south Florida through
the 1990s, served a stint as a family violence attorney and victim
advocate in Paris before leaving Texas, then returned in 2007
to join the local prosecutors’ office.
She developed a client services program for a district court’s
public defender’s office in South Florida, which provided
social services to clients to help break the cycle of crime.
Locally, she is active on the Trail de Paris board.
“Jill is an active MDT member who rarely ever misses
a meeting. She has proved to be a great asset in helping keep
the team’s morale high. Her upbeat, can-do attitude is infectious,”
White said.
Paris man gets 25 years in prison
for arson
Staff Report
Published January 9, 2010
A 23-year-old Paris man admitted Friday to burning several
structures and received 25 years in prison in a plea bargain
with prosecutors.
Roger Lee Robinson was accused of intentionally setting fire
to the abandoned Cherry Street Manor nursing home in October
2008, along with four houses in separate incidents. Two firemen
were injured fighting the Cherry Street blaze.
“Outstanding investigative work by Vance Woodard and
Fire Marshal Dale Maberry of Paris Fire Department resulted in
this arrest,” said Bill Harris, first assistant county and
district attorney. “Arson is one of the hardest crimes to
prove and they were persistent in getting their man.”
According to the report, Paris firefighter James Dority received
second degree burns to his ears, face and back as a result of
fighting that blaze. Fireman Drew Boren received minor burns
and a badly cut hand due to falling glass.
“The danger of setting fire to an empty building is not
just property, but also injury or death to firefighters. That’s
why he was charged with arson causing injury,” Harris said.
Robinson initially denied being involved with the fires or
even being present afterward. According to the report, however,
“a local photographer took pictures of the fire and Robinson
can be seen in the photos.”
Robinson pleaded guilty to setting fire to two adjacent houses
in the 800 block of East Washington Street on Oct. 30, 2008,
and another in the 400 block of the same street the next day.
In November 2008, firemen responded to a fire in a vacant
residence on 13th Street N.W. Witnesses reported seeing Robinson
running away from the area shortly before the fire was reported.
Robinson later confessed to setting all the fires.
“It’s unfortunate that he had such a disrespect
for not only property, but the safety of neighbors and firefighters,”
said county and district attorney Gary Young. “Thankfully,
solid investigating proved it and he had no choice but admit
his guilt.”
Robinson has been in the Lamar County Jail since May 2009.
He must now spend at least half of his sentence in prison before
he’s eligible for parole, Harris said.
Robinson was represented by Paris defense attorney Jeff Starnes.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | January 8, 2010
Arsonist pleads guilty, gets
25 years in prison
A 23-year-old Paris man admitted Friday to burning several
structures and received 25 years in prison in a plea bargain
with prosecutors.
Roger Lee Robinson was accused of intentionally setting fire
to the abandoned Cherry Street Manor nursing home in October
2008, along with four houses in separate incidents. Two firemen
were injured fighting the Cherry Street blaze.
Bill Harris, First Assistant County and District Attorney,
said, "Outstanding investigative work by Vance Woodard and
Fire Marshal Dale Maberry of Paris Fire Department resulted in
this arrest. Arson is one of the hardest crimes to prove and
they were persistent in getting their man."
According to the report, Paris firefighter James Dority received
second degree burns to his ears, face and back. Fireman Drew
Boren received minor burns and a badly cut hand due to falling
glass.
"The danger of setting fire to an empty building is not
just property, but also injury or death to firefighters. That's
why he was charged with arson causing injury," Harris said.
Robinson initially denied being involved with the fires or
even being present afterward. According to the report, however,
"a local photographer took pictures of the fire and Robinson
can be seen in the photos."
Robinson pleaded guilty to setting fire to two adjacent houses
in the 800 block of East Washington Street on October 30, 2008,
and another in the 400 block of the same street the next day.
In November 2008, firemen responded to a vacant residence
on Northwest 13th Street. Witnesses reported seeing Robinson
running away from the area shortly before the fire was reported.
Robinson later confessed to setting all the fires.
"It's unfortunate that he had such a disrespect for not
only property, but the safety of neighbors and firefighters,"
said County and District Attorney Gary Young. "Thankfully,
solid investigating proved it and he had no choice but admit
his guilt."
Robinson has been in the Lamar County Jail since May 2009.
He must now spend at least half of his sentence in prison before
he's eligible for parole, Harris said.
Robinson was represented by Paris defense attorney Jeff Starnes. |
