Plea Deal Reached In Wal-Mart Linecutting Case
KENNETT, Mo. – A black school teacher who claimed white police officers abused and assaulted her agreed Friday to a plea deal.
The deal allows Heather Ellis, 24, to avoid a felony conviction for her part in a January 2007 scuffle that began over cutting in line at a Wal-Mart.
RELATED: OPINION: Heather Ellis Reaches Plea Deal, But I’ve Still Got Questions
The case drew national attention because of its racial overtones: Ellis is black and the customer she argued with, the assistant store manager and police officers are white.
Race was not prominently discussed in Ellis’ trial. However, prosecutor Morley Swingle said in his closing statement that Ellis and other defense witnesses were trying to portray Kennett, a southeast Missouri town that is about 13 percent black, as “some racist Hooterville.”
The case prompted rallies from both sides of the racial divide. About 100 Ellis supporters rallied Monday, and some of about three dozen counter-protesters showed swastikas or Confederate flags.
Ellis, a Kennett native who now teaches in Louisiana, pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and disturbing the peace. Swingle dropped two felony counts of assault on a law officer. Ellis will be placed on unsupervised probation for a year, but must serve four days in jail. If she completes probation, her record will be wiped clean.
RELATED: OPINION: Heather Ellis Finally Tells Her Story & Why I Believe Her
Ellis said it had been worth going to trial this week even though a similar deal had been offered earlier.
“I still think it’s important my story got out,” she said.
Dr. Conrad Murray CHARGED
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this just shows you the bulls**t we waste our time on….
PRAISE THE LORD THIS CASE IS ALMOST OVER!! THANK YOU JESUS THAT THESE PEOPLE HAVE COME TO THEIR SENSES AND COOLER HEADS HAVE PREVAILED. I DON’T KNOW WHAT SHE IS TEACHING OR WHO BUT THE NUMBER ONE LESSON LEARNED IS BE PATIENT. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRC**STANCES CUT THE LINE ANYWHERE AT ANYTIME. IT MAY BE OKAY WITH SOME PEOPLE BUT NEVER ALL. SOMEONE IS GOING TO BE UPSET. NUMBER TWO I AM GLAD THAT MISS ELLIS ADMITTED HER RESPONSIBILITY IN YET ANOTHER INCIDENT BETWEEN A “GOOD” (NONCRIMINAL) BLACK PERSON AND THE POLICE ESCALATING OUT OF CONTROL FOR NO GOOD REASON. TAKE HEED YOUNG PEOPLE AND LEARN THESE LESSONS EARLY IN LIFE.
From what sounded like to me,the most ridiculous case I’d ever heard.Just goes to show you that you’ve got to watch your “P’s & Q’s”,regardless of where your at or how small of a situation you think you’ve landed yourself in!…That prosecutor is crazy thinking that town Isn’t racist.When you’ve got the Ku Klux Klan,passing out business card’s and the Skin Head’s not far behind.Their basically both the same organization’s.Loser’s…because they’ve lost their agenda.#1.A Black President,#2.They can’t sleep at night(good),#3.Their kid’s off to college experementing with Black’s aka:(SEX),#4.Their kid is having a half Black or other baby,#5.Their worst “NIGHTMARE”,Their kid’s Marrying/Married Black or other.#6.The last and very best…They can’t take the losing battle no more and end’s it all”SUICIDE”(HOORAH)!!!
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She dodged a huge bullet. But this still bs though.
Oh well she did what she had to so she could bring attention to the world the chumped up charges that were being brought against her. I guess if she was a non black maybe more people would have had more compassion.
You can bet if I lost my cool and behave in a way thats not my standard norm and I found myself facing unbelieveable charges for a non violent incident than I sure as hell would want the whole world to know wtf is happening to me.
Those who remain silent allow the system to fk them over. Those 15 years would have stuck if she did not speak up and it was bs all together and we know how they do it when the incident involves a black person Vs a non black so let us keep it real.
the broad is lucky!