WDAM - Channel 7 - Serving Hattiesburg, Laurel and the Pine BeltA legal insight on Pickering-Hester assault case
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By Roslyn Anderson - bio | email
JACKSON, MS (WLBT) –A legal expert gave insight in the simple assault case of an ex-congressman and a youth soccer coach Wednesday.
It is a lesson in sportsmanship for children and especially adults.
It's no game what happened Sunday at a Madison soccer field.
The altercation between former Congressman Chip Pickering and youth soccer coach Christopher Hester has resulted in charges and a court date.
Both claim self defense.
"Here we've got an elected official trying to break me down, and I didn't do anything wrong, other than defend my car," said Hester.
"As we go forward, we will see the truth come out in the facts and I'm confident that when those facts come out, when the truth is known, I will be exonerated," said Pickering.
"It is rather unfortunate that neither party found a way to de-escalate the situation," said Mississippi College of Law Professor Matt Steffey.
The legal expert said if not for a well known former politician's involvement, the case wouldn't be out of the ordinary.
It is a poor example of adults unable to resolve conflicts in front of impressionable youngsters.
But Pickering may have the most to lose.
"Mr. Pickering in particular has had an extraordinary fall from grace. He's gone from senator in waiting to a disgraced husband. Now to a person who is accused of assaulting a man in a neck brace," said Steffey.
The trials could be avoided.
"In a case like this, a soccer field dispute, it's hard to image the prosecuting authorities pressing forward if one of the victims recants and withdraws his affidavit," added the law professor.
The charges could then be dismissed, but sadly if it continues the children who witnessed the altercation could be called to take the stand.
"It depends on whether the judge finds that they're competent to testify, whether they understand the difference between telling the truth and telling a lie, whether they understand the proceedings," said Steffey.
Mississippi Youth Soccer Association Executive Director Brent Clements said the organization is not investigating the incident at this time.
"This happened after a match and not during a game. Once the courts decide who's at fault, we will look at it and decide if we need to take any action," said Clements.
For now both have trial dates set for the same date, which the law professor said is not unusual in municipal cases because witnesses in both trials will already be at the courthouse.
Both Hester and Pickering's trials are set for January 14, 2010.
The simple assault charges both filed are misdemeanors.
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