Judge to Rule on Walker's New Charges by Sept. 21
By WestKyStar Staff
MURRAY, KY - Jerry Wayne Walker will learn if new charges filed against him will be dismissed within two weeks.
Calloway Circuit Judge Dennis Foust announced Friday that he wants to make sure he makes the proper ruling. This came after Commonwealth Attorney Mark Blankenship and Defense Attorney Richard Null gave their arguments in the case.
The six counts of tampering with physical evidence were filed by Blankenship, and relate to six anonymous letters that were used as evidence in the July trial, where a jury found Walker not guilty of arson, manslaughter, assault and wanton endangerment in the Sept. 18, 1998, fire that killed student Michael Minger of Florida, and injured several others.
The Paducah Sun reports that Blankenship told Judge Foust he decided to file the charges because tampering with evidence doesn't just refer to destroying evidence, it covers creating it, too. He added that he has DNA eveidense and handwriting analysis, along with evidence that Walker admitted writing the letters.
Null argued that Blankenship is going after Walker in a vindictive manner, especially after he offered Walker plea deals on these charges, but they require Walker to apologize for the fire, a crime he's for which he's already been acquitted.
Blankenship says proving the charges will not be hard, and a conviction would lead to Walker's teaching certificate being revoked. Walker works in administration at Paducah Middle School