No warrant issued after Alred fails to show for sentencing on sixth DWI, judge reschedules hearing

When Chris Alred failed to show for his sentencing hearing Monday in Jasper County Circuit Court, Judge David Mouton did not issue a warrant for his arrest.

Why do that when you can just reschedule the sentencing?

Online Jasper County Circuit Court records indicate the sentencing hearing for Alred, 34, has been rescheduled to 10:30 a.m. Friday, January 8.

"Defendant must appear or warrant will be issued," according to the online record.

That should put the fear into Alred.

Alred pleaded guilty September 28 to driving while intoxicated (for the sixth time) in a sweetheart plea agreement with the Jasper County Prosecuting Attorney's office. In exchange for his plea, a statutory sodomy charge was dismissed and the prosecuting attorney's office agreed to allow Alred to "seek admission to a long term drug treatment program."

All that had to happen in order for that agreement to go into effect was for Judge Mouton to sign off on it.

Now that will have to wait until after the holidays.

The crime for which Alred is scheduled (tentatively, it would seem) to be sentenced occurred August 27, 2017, when he was stopped by the Sarcoxie Police Department.

In the probable cause statement, Sarcoxie Officer Connor Hackworth said Alred was stopped for driving with only one headlight. Alred pulled over on a ramp that said "do not enter" facing oncoming traffic.

Hackworth smelled alcohol and noticed Alred's eight-year-old daughter was in the car with him.

Alred refused to do a field sobriety test, then put the car into drive and pulled away. Hackworth stopped him at the Kum N. Go.

Court records detail Alred's long history or getting behind the wheel after drinking.

-Pleaded guilty April 20, 2012 in Jasper County Circuit Court for a November 2, 2011 DWI arrest

-Pleaded guilty May 2012 in Newton County Circuit Court for a December 1, 2010 DWI arrest

-Pleaded guilty April 15, 2010 in Joplin Municipal Court for a September 6, 2009 DWI arrest

-Pleaded guilty April 15, 2010 in Joplin Municipal Court for a May 12, 2009 DWI arrest

-Pleaded guilty February 22, 2007 in Neosho Municipal Court for a July 3, 2006 DWI arrest

-Pleaded guilty May 2, 2006 in Jasper County Circuit Court to excessive blood alcohol content for a February 23, 2005 arrest

Statutory sodomy case

The statutory sodomy case against Alred that the prosecuting attorney agreed to dismiss was filed after he allegedly compelled a 16-year-old Sonic carhop to perform oral sex on him in 2016.

The allegation was the centerpiece of a lawsuit filed in September 2017 against Sonic and Alred by the former carhop that claimed the business had a culture of sexual harassment that led to her assault and the assault of another underage carhop.

Sonic settled the case out of court in October 2018 for an undisclosed amount.

The girl's father told the Turner Report the settlement included a "pretty restrictive" confidentiality agreement.

Turner Report Disclosure Statement

On September 13, 2017, an arrest warrant was issued for Chris Alred following a Joplin Police Department investigation into an attack on me at my apartment. The JPD issued the following news release:

We are seeking the arrest of Christopher Alred, 31, for the assault of local blogger Randy Turner.

We know he frequents the area along with the Springfield area.

Our detectives developed probable cause to arrest him yesterday afternoon and he hasn't been located.

Alred's attack came after I wrote the original posts about his DWI arrest and the statutory sodomy charge.

Alred was never arrested.

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Silver Lining in a Funnel Cloud: Greed, Corruption and the Joplin Tornado available in paperback and e-book