Witness intimidation case continued, again

Local News

September 8, 2010

By Jeremy Pittari, Item Staff Writer The Picayune Item Picayune Item Wed Sep 08, 2010, 10:07 AM CDT

POPLARVILLE — For the second time this year court proceedings to hear evidence against Anita Carol Pearson on charges of conspiracy to intimidate a witness have been continued.

The case against Pearson was set to take place this week, tentatively beginning on Tuesday, but has been pushed back until early next year at the soonest. Pearson owns A-1 Outlaw Bonding in Picayune.

Pearl River County Circuit Clerk Vickie Hariel said this continuance was due to a death in the defense attorney’s family, causing Henry L. Lackey, Circuit Court Judge for the Third District of Mississippi, to continue the case.

Both judges for this district along with the District Attorney recused themselves from the case before it went to trail.

Prior to the case heading to the Circuit Court, District Attorney Hal Kittrell recused himself from any court proceedings on the matter, prompting the Attorney General’s Office to prosecute the case. A call to prosecuting attorney Special Assistant Attorney General Stanley Alexander’s office Tuesday for a comment on the continuance was not returned by press time.

According to court records, both 15th Circuit Court judges, R.I. Prichard and Prentiss Harrell also recused themselves from the case, which is why Lackey is the presiding judge in the case. Hariel said since Lackey will not be back in this district until early next year, that would be the earliest the case could be heard.

Pearson was charged in 2009 with allegedly attempting to pay an inmate to cause bodily harm to another inmate who bore witness against her on unrelated charges. Both the witness and the inmate allegedly hired to inflict the bodily harm were incarcerated at the Pearl River County jail at the time. The indictment and charges she was to face on Tuesday concerned only the alleged intimidation charges. Pearson was indicted on the conspiracy to intimidate charge in June of 2009.

The case was originally set to take place in March of this year, but was continued the day of the trail, just before the jury was selected, due to a family emergency on Pearson’s part. Even though the trial didn’t take place, the county still had to pay each of about 70 potential jurors $40 for their day in court in addition to any mileage.

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