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Photo by Tom Marshall
Janet Gannon, a member of the Montgomery County High School Mock Trial Team, gave an opening statement in the trial of the United States of America vs. Cassius Clay Tuesday night at the county courthouse. The team gave the public a glimpse of their work before a jury of local residents. The team, which has won multiple state titles, competes in the Kentucky Mock Trial Tournament in Louisville beginning Friday. The squad is coached by Jon Mansfield and John “Chip” Manley
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| Dunn given 50-year sentence |
By Tom Marshall
Senior Advocate writer
A judge followed a jury’s recommendation and sentenced Michael Dunn to 50 years in prison for the sodomy of a 14-year-old boy.
At a court hearing Feb. 26, Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge William “Bill” Lane sentenced Dunn, 41, of Jeffersonville, to a maximum 10 years on each of five sodomy counts for which he was convicted during a jury trial last month.
Dunn must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence before he will be eligible for parole. He must also register as a sex offender upon his release.
Prior to sentencing Dunn’s attorney, Alex Rowady of Winchester, asked Lane to run the prison terms concurrently for a total of 10 years. Lane, who had discretion to act outside the jury’s recommendation, declined.
The judge also denied two motions recently filed by Rowady. One of them asked Lane to overturn the guilty verdict; the other asked for a new trial citing a series of alleged court errors.
Rowady told Lane he felt the judge should have granted hearings on the two motions before ruling on them.
The boy, now 15, alleged that Dunn befriended him then later forced sexual acts on him. He made the allegations in December 2008 after running away from home.
The key piece of evidence in the trial was a used condom found on Dunn’s property. Authorities found the condom at a spot where the boy claimed he was sexually assaulted.
An expert testified that the condom had DNA evidence consistent with Dunn, the boy and a third unknown contributor.
Dunn took the stand in his defense.
He explained away the DNA evidence by claiming that he and the boy both had sex with a mysterious woman “Lisa” on his property around the time the assault on the boy was alleged to have occurred.
Dunn claimed “Lisa” appeared at his property on Bell Farm Road and after a brief conversation consented to sex. He testified that he never got Lisa’s last name or phone number and did not know where she lived.
Dunn had previously come under scrutiny in the February 2008 shooting of Robert G. “Greg” Rudd, 46. The case went before a grand jury, which did not issue an indictment. Dunn claimed he acted in self defense when he shot Rudd.
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