KY- No Trial For Mom Who Shot Alleged Molester

12-2-2001 Kentucky:

COVINGTON, Ky. -- A woman accused of shooting a man who allegedly molested her son will not go to trial.

On Friday, a grand jury in Kenton County decided not to indict the woman, who shot Larry Howell in November, WLWT Eyewitness News 5 reported.

WLWT is not naming the woman to protect the identity of her son.

The woman was charged with one count of first-degree assault, and assault under extreme emotional disturbance.

Prosecutors said Friday that they will not present the charges a second time to the grand jury, which effectively ends the case against her.

Howell, of Erlanger, Ky., has been charged with nine counts of sodomy.

Investigators believe that Howell molested as many as 20 boys between the ages of 12 and 15. Howell allegedly lured children to his home in Erlanger with gifts and money in exchange for sexual favors, WLWT reported.

Two days after his Nov. 30, 2001, arrest, the woman shot Howell in the groin, just moments after he was released from jail on bond. She admitted to the shooting in court, WLWT reported.

Howell spent several days in the hospital, then returned to jail.

After Howell was shot, parents in the community rallied their support behind the woman and raised money to bail her out of prison. ..more.. by Eyewitness News 5

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Kenton Co. still wants mother prosecuted in groin shooting

3-6-2003 Kentucky:

LOUISVILLE - The Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office would like to see Jaymie Hutchins prosecuted for shooting Larry Howell in the groin, but a special prosecutor assigned to the case more than a year ago said he will make the final call.

A grand jury has already refused to indict the Covington woman in the shooting of Howell, a man she claimed abused her young son.

A spokesman for Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney David Stengel in Louisville said his office will not re-present the Hutchins case to a grand jury unless someone comes forward with credible, new evidence.

Texas Judge Orders Notices Warning of Sex Offender

5-29-2001 Texas:

CORPUS CHRISTI, Tex. -- The former county appraiser was booked on three felony indictments, a senior school district official resigned and state legislators killed a plan to reorganize the Port of Corpus Christi, the city's largest commercial enterprise.

Out on Corpus Christi Bay, the U.S. Open Windsurfing Regatta began and the speckled trout started biting again off Indian Point.

Ordinarily, such things would be hot topics in the bars along Water Street and the harbor docks, but all anybody in this sunny coastal resort wanted to talk about last week was the sex offenders.

On May 18, a judge ordered 21 registered sex criminals to post signs on their homes and automobiles warning the public of their crimes, and the results were almost immediate. One of the offenders attempted suicide, two were evicted from their homes, several had their property vandalized and one offender's father had his life threatened, according to court testimony.
"It's totally shocking what has happened here," said Gerald Rogen, president of the Corpus Christi Criminal Defense Lawyers Organization, who represents two of the offenders. "It's frightening, as if we're going back to the times of scarlet letters, public hangings and witch hunts."

Although the state district judge who required the warnings, Judge J. Manuel Bañales, later reduced to 14 the number of offenders who must post the signs, he refused an appeal on Thursday to amend his order.

"They have only themselves to blame," Judge Bañales said.