Saturday, December 19, 2009

Jury finds ex-principal not guilty of assault

This from the Herald-Leader:


ACQUITTED AFTER ALTERCATION
WITH BOY, 15,
OUTSIDE NICHOLAS CO. SCHOOL

A former Central Kentucky principal was found not guilty Friday afternoon of assaulting a 15-year-old boy in February. A Nicholas County jury of four men and two women returned the verdict, finding Joseph F. Orazen not guilty of fourth-degree assault, a misdemeanor, after about 20 minutes of deliberations.

Orazen had been accused of slamming Dusty Green to the ground outside Nicholas County High School on Feb. 10. The boy had approached Orazen, asking to go inside the school to get his jacket, and was cursing and yelling at the principal, defense attorneys said.

Orazen was terminated from his position at the school, but his lawyers say they are appealing that decision.

Following the verdict, Orazen said he will probably not return to Nicholas County High School, but he would like to continue his career in education.

Orazen said he was relieved to finally be able to tell his story on the stand and to reporters following the verdict. He said he never considered doing anything other than seeing the case played out in court, even if it meant spending a year in jail, which is the maximum time for a misdemeanor. "Because I knew where my heart was," he said....

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