Rod Jetton Charged With Felony Assault

UPDATE: Via the Southeast Missourian, a scanned copy of the probable cause statement may be found here. It's not for the faint of heart.

The Star breaks the story:

The affidavit attached to the probable cause statement alleges Jetton went to the home of the victim Nov. 15, where he and the victim drank wine and watched a football game.  The victim claims Jetton hit her on the face and choked her, leaving bruises that the police department photographed.

The affidavit claims the assault occurred during the night and into the morning of Nov. 16.  It says Jetton and the victim agreed on a "safe word" "to use as a stop word during intercourse."

KY3 has more:

Jetton went to the woman's residence in Sikeston, Mo. with two bottles of wine, according to the report.

"(The woman) said she did not see him pour the wine because she did not follow him into the kitchen, but he returned to the living room and handed her a glass of wine. (The woman) remembers watching a football game and said once she finished the glass of wine, she began 'fading' in and out and remembered losing consciousness several times during the evening," wrote Detective Bethany McDermott in his report.

McDermott reports that Jetton and the woman agreed on a safe word of "green ballons" to use as a stop word during intercourse.

"(The woman) recalls Jetton hitting her on the face very hard. She then remembers waking up, lying on the floor and Jetton was choking her. (The woman) said she did not know what happened with her memory because she had been drunk but had never had the blank spots in her memory," McDermott reported.

"(The woman) said Jetton stayed the night with her and when he woke up he gave her a kiss and said, 'You should have said green balloons.' Jetton left the woman's residence and had not returned," McDermott added.

Rod Jetton served as Speaker of the House from 2005-2008, and was first elected to represent the 156th House District (Bollinger, Madison and Wayne counties) in 2000. Nicknamed "The Rodfather," a recent KC Star story declared that "Jetton is one of the most powerful men influencing state government, despite not being an elected official." Jetton ran a political consulting firm while still serving as Speaker, and has built a long client list since leaving office. He is recently divorced.

The case now appears in the state's Case.net database.  Jetton was charged with 2nd degree assault. Section 565.060 of the Missouri Revised Statutes reads as follows: 

Assault, second degree, penalty.

565.060. 1. A person commits the crime of assault in the second degree if he:

(1) Attempts to kill or knowingly causes or attempts to cause serious physical injury to another person under the influence of sudden passion arising out of adequate cause; or

(2) Attempts to cause or knowingly causes physical injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon or dangerous instrument; or

(3) Recklessly causes serious physical injury to another person; or

(4) While in an intoxicated condition or under the influence of controlled substances or drugs, operates a motor vehicle in this state and, when so operating, acts with criminal negligence to cause physical injury to any other person than himself; or

(5) Recklessly causes physical injury to another person by means of discharge of a firearm; or

(6) Operates a motor vehicle in violation of subsection 2 of section 304.022, RSMo, and when so operating, acts with criminal negligence to cause physical injury to any person authorized to operate an emergency vehicle, as defined in section 304.022, RSMo, while such person is in the performance of official duties.

2. The defendant shall have the burden of injecting the issue of influence of sudden passion arising from adequate cause under subdivision (1) of subsection 1 of this section.

3. Assault in the second degree is a class C felony.