Sunday, August 20, 2006

Pre-trial conference set for the Jasper 5

Five Jasper residents arrested following a March 2 brawl at City Hall are scheduled to have pre-trial conferences Tuesday in Jasper County Circuit Court.
Alderman and former mayor Jim McCorkle, 63, his wife Marie, 64, Jacob Good, 33, Rick Good, 55, and Jerry Ogle, 61, all face charges of third degree assault, misdemeanors, but the five rejected a plea agreement and brought in high-powered attorney Dee Wampler III of Springfield to represent them.
The brawl sent the mayor at the time, John Rodebush, and Mrs. McCorkle to the hospital with minor injuries. It came at a time when a faction led by McCorkle was at odds with a number of actions taken by the mayor, including suspending Ogle as fire chief and either firing or forcing more than 30 city workers to leave during his brief tenure. After McCorkle and another vocal opponent, Vic Crazybear were elected to the council in April ensuring that Rodebush would not get his way in divided votes as he had in the past, Rodebush resigned.

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