Jury finds Williams not guilty

A Donley County Jury acquitted a man of Sexual Assault after a three day trial September 18.

Josh Williams was accused of the crime, which allegedly took place on December 9, 2011. The incident was reported December 16 of that year, and Williams was indicted by the Grand Jury on March 6, 2012, and subsequently arrested.

Williams’ case originally came before a jury on February 5, 2013, but that ended in a mistrial one day later after evidence surfaced that had not been seen by either the prosecution or the defense.

Following the mistrial, Judge Stuart Messer ordered DNA testing on bedding materials by an accredited laboratory, and those test results came back May 1, 2014, identifying the DNA as likely belonging to Williams.

After listening to testimony and weighing the evidence, the six-man, six-woman jury did not find that the state had met its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant had assaulted the alleged victim and returned a “Not Guilty” verdict for Williams

District Attorney Luke Inman said he respects the jury’s decision.

“We put together the best preparation of admissible evidence so the jury could make an informed decision while deliberating for guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, which is the standard the State must prove its case by in all criminal trials,” said Inman. “This type of case is difficult for everyone involved, the jury, my staff, defense counsel, and especially for our victim.

“Unfortunately, this type of case goes to trial more than any other felony offense we prosecute,” the district attorney continued. “The State is held to a high standard and we must reach that standard in each and every jury trial. My office respects this jury’s decision and will move forward to seek justice on the hundreds of other felony cases that are pending in this county and across the 100th Judicial District.”