TERRICA HENDRIX
Editor
DIERKS – The trial for a man accused of assaulting a mayor will begin this summer.
Jeffery Lynn Jester, 57, of Newhope, was granted a continuance last week by a circuit court judge. Jester was ordered to appear in Howard County Circuit Court on June 8 for pretrial and on June 21 for trial.
Jester was charged with Battery – 2nd degree and Criminal Mischief – 1st degree after he turned himself in for an alleged altercation with the mayor of Dierks and damaging his truck last November.
Jester was interviewed on Nov. 17 at the Dierks Police Department by Arkansas State Police Special Agent Hayes McWhirter.
According to an affidavit of arrest prepared by McWhirter, Jester admitted to damaging the Dierks mayor’s truck and beating up the mayor on Nov. 9, 2015. “Jester stated he waited around Dierks to turn himself in, but wanted the officer to know why he beat the mayor up,” according to the affidavit arrest in Jester’s case.
A special prosecutor – Christi McQueen – has been appointed to Jester’s case due to Prosecuting Attorney Bryan L. Chesshir recusing himself from the case. McQueen is a prosecuting attorney from Hope.
