By By Sharon White/The Meridian Star
Feb. 28, 2001
Tammy Parker, a rural mail carrier, wants her day in court despite the recent dismissal of an assault charge against a local man arrested for allegedly striking her in the chest while she was delivering mail.
The case stems from an incident that allegedly took place Dec. 2, when Parker accidentally attempted to deliver mail to the wrong address in a subdivision in the Topton community.
Lauderdale County Justice Court Judge Gerald W. Thompson said he had "no recourse" than to dismiss the charge Feb. 21 when witnesses for the prosecution did not appear in court.
Tim Weisend, the postal inspector in charge of the investigation, said neither he nor Parker were notified of the court date until after the charges had been dismissed.
Weisend said his investigation found that Thomas "punched" Parker in the chest while she was in the process of performing her duties delivering U.S. mail a charge he said the postal service takes seriously.
County attorney Robert Compton, who was in charge of prosecuting the case against Thomas, said he is looking into re-opening the matter.
Compton said Tuesday his findings should be available in the next few days.
Weisend said a charge of simple assault in a state case is a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.
Sharon White is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. E-mail her at swhite@themeridianstar.com.