Husband, wife plead guilty to amended alcohol charges

The case of a Sikeston, Mo., couple charged with supplying alcohol to minors will not go to trial.

Mark Cheatham, 49, and Terry Brewer Cheatham, 47, pleaded guilty Wednesday to amended charges, said their attorney, Stephen Wilson. They pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor counts each of allowing minors to drink on their property but denied that they supplied liquor, Wilson said.

The charges stemmed from a party they threw for their son's graduating Notre Dame Regional High School class at their residence in May.

Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Paul Boyd filed amended information Wednesday.

The Cheathams opted to pay fines of $500 per charge rather than the six months in jail, Wilson said.

Wilson said Mark Cheatham was concerned about statements he made to police the night of the party. In an incident report released May 23, a police officer wrote that Mark Cheatham said "he didn't care how much it cost him, he would do it again." According to Wilson, Cheatham told police it was worth any cost to him to keep his son and his friends from drinking and possibly getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.

"These folks were really just concerned with keeping children safe," Wilson said.

The Cheathams originally faced 30 counts each of supplying alcohol to minors, each punishable by up to six months in jail or a fine of up to $500.

bdicosmo@semissourian.com

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