A Christian County Circuit Court jury needed less than 15 minutes Thursday morning to acquit former Hopkinsville Police Officer Jefferson Alexander on a felony perjury charge.
After both sides presented closing arguments and received jury instructions, the panel came back quickly and gave Judge John Atkins its verdict.
click to download audioAlexander was charged with providing misleading or false testimony to a grand jury that eventually led to the indictment of former Hopkinsville City Councilwoman Ann Cherry in 2012.
As a result of the testimony by Alexander and questioning by then prosecutor Lynn Pryor, Cherry was charged with tampering with a witness, tampering with public records, and official misconduct.
Before her trial, Cherry reached a settlement with the Commonwealth to drop the charges as long as Cherry agreed to resign her seat on the city council and not run again for public office in Hopkinsville.
On Wednesday, Eric Eaton, Alexander’s defense attorney, asked Chief Circuit Judge John Atkins for a directed verdict, or an acquittal of his client. Judge Atkins denied the motion but said it could be revisited once all of the evidence in the case had been presented.
Eaton asked for the directed verdict again Thursday morning to which Judge Atkins again denied the motion.
In his closing arguments, Eaton said the prosecution did not meet its burden of proof required to find Alexander guilty.
click to download audioEaton went on to say that even the prosecution’s witnesses in the trial did not question Alexander’s integrity as a police officer.
click to download audioSpecial prosecutor James Lesousky tried to paint a picture to the jury of a police department that wanted Cherry out of office.
click to download audioLesousky went on to say that Alexander was part of a team to try and end Cherry’s political career.
click to download audioThe case dates back to 2012 with the indictment against Alexander handed down in 2019 following an FBI investigation.
