Ex-officer from Cape acquitted on all but one count

Former Cape Girardeau police detective Paul Tipler was found guilty of forging a receipt form and not guilty of another count of forgery, theft by deception, tampering with evidence, tampering to hinder prosecution, possession of a defaced firearm, distribution of cocaine, and two counts of patronizing prostitutes.

The jury brought in from St. Louis County deliberated a full seven hours Wednesday before returning the verdict shortly before 11 p.m. Tipler declined to comment following the verdict.

Tipler took the stand in his defense Wednesday and testified that he has done sloppy work, which resulted in him being reprimanded often and frequently suspended. He admitted to lying to his supervisor. Under direct questioning, Tipler admitted he had sex in patrol cars while on duty with at least three girlfriends. He told the court that his supervisor once told him to concentrate more on quality than on the quantity of drug arrests.

Tipler testified to being unconventional, but not criminal. Tipler, 36, was with the Cape Girardeau Police Department for more than nine years. Since being fired, he has been employed in construction work.

Tipler's attorney, Steve Wilson, walked the jury through a list of receipts in his closing arguments to show how poor record keeping by both the police department and his client were at fault. He said the receipts correspond with reports Tipler made, which Wilson claimed more than made up for the $746 Tipler was accused of misappropriating from the police department. Wilson said he got the information from the police department. Tipler's supervisor said he could not account for $746; Wilson said the receipts he checked against the reports and the ledger book added up to more than $900.

Special prosecutor Kevin Zoellner, a former Cape Girardeau County assistant prosecutor, told the jury that Tipler did something illegal, and investigators were able to find the documents to back up the allegations.

Two jury alternates who remained in court until the verdict was announced said they did not believe testimony from two of Tipler's confidential informants, both former prostitutes with lengthy criminal records.

"I didn't believe the prostitutes," said Margie Davis of Florissant, Mo., an alternate juror. "They're going to do what they have to do to get high" on drugs.

Davis said she didn't believe from the testimony she heard that Tipler was guilty of any of the charges against him.

Another alternate juror, Eugene Livingstone of Fenton, Mo., declined to say how he reacted to the testimony, only that he wished Tipler well in the future.

lredeffer@semissourian.com

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