Mississippi County sheriff arraigned; preliminary hearing set for June

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Embattled Mississippi County Sheriff Cory Hutcheson was arraigned Thursday in Charleston.

Hutcheson, appearing before Cape Girardeau County Associate Circuit Judge Gary Kamp with his lawyer, N. Scott Rosenblum, entered pleas of not guilty to 18 charges that include second-degree assault, first-degree robbery, making a false declaration, forgery, tampering with computer data and misconduct by notary.

A preliminary hearing is set for 9 a.m. June 20.

Hutcheson, who was elected sheriff in November and took office in January, was arrested on 18 counts April 5, including an allegation he handcuffed a 77-year-old woman with so much force she suffered a heart attack.

According to a probable-cause statement filed by Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper T.S. Craig, on March 24, Hutcheson entered a beauty shop in East Prairie, Missouri, to pick up a paycheck for his sister-in-law. The sister-in-law had been accused of taking property belonging to the business, and the shop owner was holding the check until the property was returned.

The sheriff approached 77-year-old Bonnie Woods, an employee and sister of the shop owner, demanded the paycheck and threatened arrest if she refused. When Woods refused, Hutcheson grabbed her wrist and handcuffed her with enough force, it caused her to bleed. He then grabbed her other arm hard enough to cause “significant bruising,” Craig wrote. Hutcheson then grabbed the check, took off the handcuffs and left.

Woods felt chest pains and was taken to a hospital, where it was determined she had a heart attack. She was hospitalized for three days.

Later March 24, Hutcheson submitted an affidavit to the county prosecutor seeking assault and kidnapping charges against Woods, alleging the sister-in-law was held against her will when she tried to pick up her final paycheck. Craig wrote witnesses said the sister-in-law was neither assaulted nor kidnapped.

Hutcheson also was charged with 15 counts resulting from alleged crimes when he was a deputy in 2014. The charges, seven counts each of forgery and tampering with computer data along with one count of notary misconduct, came from allegations he “pinged” cellphones of then-Sheriff Keith Moore, Circuit Court Judge David Dolan and five highway-patrol officials.

The FBI and highway patrol arrested Hutcheson on April 5, and he was jailed briefly in Cape Girardeau County before being released on $75,000 bond.

Hutcheson is handling only administrative duties after Missouri Department of Public Safety director Drew Juden suspended Hutcheson’s peace-officer license April 6. Mississippi County chief deputy Branden Caid is handling all duties dealing with criminal matters.

Rosenblum, an lawyer from Clayton, Missouri, recently released a statement in which Hutcheson claimed his innocence.

“We are confident once the facts come out, the prosecution of Sheriff Hutcheson will be shown to be misguided and politically motivated,” Rosenblum stated. “Sheriff Hutcheson will enter a plea of not guilty, and he looks forward to addressing these charges in Court. The Sheriff is looking forward to continuing his work and dedicating himself to the citizens of Mississippi County.”

Pertinent address:

200 W. Commercial St., Charleston, Mo.