My San Antonio - January 14, 2009
The San Antonio-area pastor accused of dragging a 15-year-old girl behind a van at a Christian boot camp in 2007 is being sued in Bexar County by the girl’s mother, Frances McClintock.
The suit, filed Monday in state district court by attorneys Carl J. Kolb and Terry Martin, seeks at least $2.5 million in damages. McClintock dropped an earlier lawsuit in Nueces County and refiled it in San Antonio.
The suit names, among others, Pastor Charles E. Flowers and his former training assistant Stephanie Bassitt, who initially were charged with second-degree felony aggravated assault in the alleged dragging of Siobahn McClintock behind a van at the Love Demonstrated Ministries’ camp 10 miles west of Corpus Christi in Banquete.
The charge later was reduced to a Class A misdemeanor, and a mistrial was declared when jurors couldn’t reach a decision in May. Kolb said the McClintock family continues to be affected by the “outrageous” experience. “We wouldn’t treat our dogs that way,” he said.
Flowers’ attorney Jimmy Parks Jr. called the lawsuit “ridiculous.”
This article was found at:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/37554939.html
Showing posts with label Love Demonstrated Ministries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Love Demonstrated Ministries. Show all posts
14 Jan 2009
3 May 2008
Mistrial declared in boot-camp dragging case
Caller-Times Corpus Christi, Texas
May 3, 2008
By Mary Ann Cavazos
The judge in the assault case of two San Antonio-based boot camp officials accused of dragging a teen behind a van in Banquete declared a mistrial Friday after the jury was unable to reach a verdict.
The jury deliberated more than 13 hours over two days and sent out about a dozen notes, many saying they were split but leaning toward not guilty verdicts.
The final vote was 9-3 in favor of not guilty for Pastor Charles Flowers, 47, and 11 -1 in favor of a not guilty verdict for Stephanie Bassitt, 21.
Flowers founded Love Demonstrated Ministries, International.
Bassitt is a former staff member at the boot camp.
Flowers, who founded Love Demonstrated Ministries, International with his wife, and Bassitt, a former staff member, were accused of using a rope to tie 15-year-old Siobahn McClintock to a van on June 12 and dragging her behind it.
If convicted of the Class A misdemeanor, they faced as much as a year in county jail and up to a $4,000 fine.
Prosecutor Michael Gordon said District Attorney Carlos Valdez would decide whether to retry the case. Gordon said from talking with the jury it seemed some were hung up on when the teen received her injuries.
Flowers' lead attorney, Jimmy Parks, said the jury also asked to meet with the pastor and his wife after the judge's decision, a rare occurrence. One juror who voted for acquittals said she would send her own daughter to the boot camp, Parks said.
The two originally were charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony. But 347th District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos lowered the felony charges to simple assault on Monday after the defense argued the van and rope could not be considered deadly weapons.
During the trial, defense attorneys proposed the Floresville teen, now 16, had intentionally injured herself and lied about the dragging incident. They also accused the girl's mother of trying to profit from the situation by suing both defendants, Flowers' church and boot camp along with helping another witness write a book about the case.
The prosecution admitted the teen was troubled but said it was Flowers and Bassitt who went beyond discipline with a brutal and criminal act.
This article was found at:
http://www.caller.com/news/2008/may/03/
mistrial-declared-in-dragging-case/
May 3, 2008
By Mary Ann Cavazos
The judge in the assault case of two San Antonio-based boot camp officials accused of dragging a teen behind a van in Banquete declared a mistrial Friday after the jury was unable to reach a verdict.
The jury deliberated more than 13 hours over two days and sent out about a dozen notes, many saying they were split but leaning toward not guilty verdicts.
The final vote was 9-3 in favor of not guilty for Pastor Charles Flowers, 47, and 11 -1 in favor of a not guilty verdict for Stephanie Bassitt, 21.
Flowers founded Love Demonstrated Ministries, International.
Bassitt is a former staff member at the boot camp.
Flowers, who founded Love Demonstrated Ministries, International with his wife, and Bassitt, a former staff member, were accused of using a rope to tie 15-year-old Siobahn McClintock to a van on June 12 and dragging her behind it.
If convicted of the Class A misdemeanor, they faced as much as a year in county jail and up to a $4,000 fine.
Prosecutor Michael Gordon said District Attorney Carlos Valdez would decide whether to retry the case. Gordon said from talking with the jury it seemed some were hung up on when the teen received her injuries.
Flowers' lead attorney, Jimmy Parks, said the jury also asked to meet with the pastor and his wife after the judge's decision, a rare occurrence. One juror who voted for acquittals said she would send her own daughter to the boot camp, Parks said.
The two originally were charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony. But 347th District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos lowered the felony charges to simple assault on Monday after the defense argued the van and rope could not be considered deadly weapons.
During the trial, defense attorneys proposed the Floresville teen, now 16, had intentionally injured herself and lied about the dragging incident. They also accused the girl's mother of trying to profit from the situation by suing both defendants, Flowers' church and boot camp along with helping another witness write a book about the case.
The prosecution admitted the teen was troubled but said it was Flowers and Bassitt who went beyond discipline with a brutal and criminal act.
This article was found at:
http://www.caller.com/news/2008/may/03/
mistrial-declared-in-dragging-case/
30 Apr 2008
Charges reduced against Christian boot camp employees
Houston Chronicle - Associated Press
April 29, 2008
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A judge reduced felony charges against the director of a Christian boot camp and an employee to simple assault in connection with the alleged dragging of a 15-year-old girl behind a van after she fell behind during a morning run.
ap/tx/5738088.html
April 29, 2008
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A judge reduced felony charges against the director of a Christian boot camp and an employee to simple assault in connection with the alleged dragging of a 15-year-old girl behind a van after she fell behind during a morning run.
Charles Eugene Flowers and Stephanie Bassitt of San Antonio-based Love Demonstrated Ministries were on trial for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Those charges were reduced Monday by Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos, who was swayed by arguments by defense lawyers that the van could not be considered a deadly weapon as described in the indictment.
If convicted, Flowers and Bassitt could have faced as many as 20 years in prison and as much as a $10,000 fine. A conviction on the misdemeanor simple assault charge carries as much as a year in county jail and as much as a $4,000 fine.
The Corpus Christi Caller-Times reported the reduced charges Monday on its Web site.
Flowers and Bassitt are on trial for allegedly tying a 15-year-old girl to the van with a rope and then dragging her last June at a Christian boot camp, according to an arrest affidavit. Flowers, the camp's director, allegedly ordered Bassitt to run alongside the girl after she fell behind. When the girl stopped running, Bassitt allegedly yelled at her and pinned her to the ground while Flowers tied the rope to her, according to the affidavit.
The girl suffered scrapes and bruises.
The 32-day boot camp for girls ages 13 to 19 includes 28 days at a facility near San Antonio, then four days at a camp in Banquete, about 10 miles west of Corpus Christi.
This article was found at:
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5738088.html
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