Remaining Charges Against Former Southwood High School Softball Coach Greg Frazier are Dismissed
Share Press Release after the dismissal of the remaining charges in State v. Greg Frazier Shreveport, Louisiana Tuesday, June 7, 2011 Remaining Charges Against Former Southwood High School Softball Coach Greg Frazier are Dismissed Over a year after a Caddo Parish jury acquitted former Southwood softball Coach Greg Frazier of accusations that he molested several of his former players as well as his ex-wife, remaining charges against Frazier have been dismissed. In March 2010, a Caddo Parish jury voted unanimously to acquit Frazier of allegations that he molested a former softball player. Although Mr. Frazier was charged with multiple counts of molestation, the Caddo Parish District Attorney chose to bring him to trial on only one count. Nevertheless, in an effort to prove its case, the prosecutors presented the testimony of all complaining witnesses. The “not guilty” verdict was rendered after two weeks of testimony. Prosecutors presented six complaining witnesses, in addition to an airport security officer, a private investigator. Three complainants were former softball players who asserted that Frazier had repeated consensual sexual relations with them while they played for the Southwood team he coached. The remaining three made allegations that Frazier touched them inappropriately and made lewd remarks. During four hours of questioning by his attorney, Elton Richey, Frazier acknowledged having sexual relations with three of the women who had played on his teams. His testimony explained that the relationships occurred after the women had graduated and were no longer minors, making the relationships lawful. Frazier further explained that he had married and divorced one of the complainants, his ex-wife Tammy, who played softball at Parkway when Frazier coached there in the late 1980’s. The couple had a contentious divorce and child-custody battle that continued through the time of his arrest. Unsatisfied with the verdict, prosecutors decided to bring Frazier back to court on the remaining two counts. That trial was scheduled to begin Monday June 13th. Prosecutors also asked Caddo Parish District Court Judge John Mosley to exclude significant evidence of Frazier’s innocence from the second trial which Richey had presented to the jury at the first trial. That evidence was, key to Frazier’s acquittal. Judge Mosley refused to grant most of the state’s request, and prosecutor’s appealed to the Louisiana Supreme Court. On Monday Morning the Louisiana Supreme Court refused the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s request to overturn Judge Mosley’s decision. Later that day the remaining charges were dismissed Background: Frazier was originally arrested in March of 2007 after a Southwood student accused him of improperly touching her and lewd comments to here when she was in his office at the Southwood softball building. Frazier denied the accusation. Several softball players, including Frazier’s two daughters, were present at the time. Each testified at trial that nothing had occurred. Frazier explained at trial that a comment, made to the girl as she left the softball building, that “it’s our little secret,” dealt with the girl telling him that a friend was pregnant rather than in reference to any misconduct with the girl. Mr. Frazier was originally charged with four counts of Molestation of Juvenile. After his initial release on $100,000.00 bond, he was re-arrested on another allegation of molestation of a juvenile. Each count involved allegations that Mr. Frazier had abused his position of trust as a Coach and teacher. Two of the counts alleged he had illicit sexual relationship with women when they were his minor students, and three others alleged he had “groped” the students in an illicit, sexual manner. On July 7, 2008, after extensive investigation and pretrial litigation, the Defense was able...
read moreJury returns an acquittal in Bossier Parish False Confession Case
Press Release following the Acquittal of Michael Hutchings On Tuesday September 1, 2009, a Bossier Parish jury returned a unanimous verdict of Not Guilty to acquit Michael Horn Hutchings on one count of Aggravated Rape of 13 year old and one count of Molestation of a Juvenile. Hutchings had been on trial for the past week in connection with the charges. His lawyer, Shreveport Attorney Elton B. Richey, Jr. contended that Hutchings’ 8 year old daughter had been lead into making a statement that investigators at the Bossier City Police Department and the Shreveport Based Gingerbread House, perceived to be a report of sexual abuse by Hutchings. In the course of the investigation Hutchings, who suffers from mild mental retardation, gave a false confession to a Bossier City Detective and was charged with Aggravated Rape based on the false confession.The molestation charge was brought by Mr. Hutchings older son from a former marriage. Upon learning of his father’s arrest in April of 2007, the boy claimed that he suddenly remembered his father had touched him in an inappropriate manner some seven years before. Hutchings’ lawyers contended that the boy was angry at his father over a spoiled 13th birthday party and was pressured by Hutching’s ex-wife to make the allegation.Hutchings’ son and daughter both testified. His daughter told jurors her father had not touched her in any sexual manner. His son maintained that Hutchings had touched him some seven years before around age six. A physical examination of the daughter showed no evidence of sexual trauma or abuse. Hutchings took the stand in his own defense and explained to jurors how the Detectives intimidated him during two and a half hour unrecorded interrogation into giving a tape recorded false confession.Richey presented expert testimony of Dr. Solomon Fulero, a nationally known expert in Interrogation tactics and false confessions, child psychologist Dr. Bruce MCcormick, prominent local Forensic Psychologist, Dr. Mark Vigan, and Dr. John VanSavage, a Pediatric Urologist. VanSavage testified that the lack of physical evidence of sexual molestation was inconsistent with the detailed and graphic confession Bossier Detectives secured form Mr. Hutchings.Richey presented evidence that the Bossier City Detective who obtained the false confession from his our mentally retarded client had previously obtained two false confessions to murder in an unrelated case. The Jury deliberated for about four hours before returning the Not Guilty...
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