Jetton granted change of judge in assault case, may get change of venue

BENTON, Mo. -- Circuit Court Judge David Dolan approved a change-of-judge motion Wednesday in the felony assault case against former Missouri House speaker Rod Jetton.

The new judge, to be assigned by the Missouri Supreme Court, will decide on a change of venue motion also filed by Jetton's attorney, Stephen Wilson.

Neither Wilson nor Jetton appeared at the Scott County Courthouse, as Wilson filed a waiver of appearance before the 9:30 a.m. hearing.

Jetton is charged with felony assault for allegedly beating a Sikeston, Mo., woman during rough sex while he was visiting her home in November.

The change of judge ruling comes two weeks after Jetton's preliminary hearing, where the alleged victim in the case, Mary Elizabeth Lowe, testified against him.

Fourteen photographs were introduced into evidence at the hearing Feb. 24 and showed severe bruising to Lowe's face, neck and leg.

According to Lowe's testimony, she and Jetton were classmates in Charleston, Mo., and reconnected on the Internet social networking site Facebook. The beating allegedly occurred after the pair shared a bottle of wine and Lowe became incoherent, claiming everything was "very fuzzy." She blacked out several times, Lowe told a judge last month, and upon waking up a third time, Jetton was allegedly having sex with her.

Lowe admitted that in a phone conversation before Jetton's visit in November, the two discussed using a safe word -- "green balloons" -- during sex.

She suffered pain along her jaw four weeks after the incident, she testified, and still has trouble chewing and speaking.

Because a new judge needs to be assigned to the case, no future court date was set for Jetton.

ehevern@semissourian.com

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