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Federal Court Judge Hands Down Sentence In Harddridge Creek Incident

Rickey Stokes

Viewed: 11635

Posted by: RStokes
Date: Jan 27 2016 5:37 PM

MONTGOMERY:    This morning United States Federal Court Judge Keith Watkins described the incident as " a prank gone bad ".


After Judge Watkins described his assessment of the incident, Judge Watkins passed down the sentence on 23 year old Mason Cole Battles and 21 year old Judson Walter Buchanan for the 2014 incident at Hardridge Creek.


Judge Watkins issued a sentence for Battles of 12 months and one day to serve in custody, followed by 6 months house arrest, followed by three years probation.


Judge Watkins issued a sentence for Buchanan of 6 months unsupervised house arrest, followed by four years probation.


Within 90 days all sides are to meet and discuss restitution to the victim Kelli Whitehurst.


Judge Watkins ordered a March 9, 2016 surrender date for Battles to begin his sentence.


The charges stem from a June 2014 incident at Hardridge Creek Campground in Henry County.  Battles and Buchanan were moving boat trailers in the campground in a prank. The gates were closed and locked at the campground where no vehicle could enter or exit the campground. There were no intentions of theft.


The weather woke up Kelli Whitehurst and her husband Jason. When they saw Battles and Buchanan hook up to the boat trailer, Kelli Whitehurst went running to the driver side of the golf cart. Whitehurst stated as she ran to the golf cart, she alleged that Battles pushed her, she fell and the boat trailer ran over her. Both Battles and Buchanan ran from the scene leaving the golf cart and boat trailer.


Whitehurst stated to the court that she spent seven days in the hospital and has had several surgeries.


Battles and Buchanan were charged in Henry County with Robbery and Assault. The original charge was going to be assault. However a disagreement between Henry County Sheriff Will Maddox and District Attorney Doug Valeska resulted in the charges being upgraded from assault to Robbery and Assault.


The incident occurred on the property of Hardridge Creek which belongs to the United State Army Corp of Engineers. That makes the property that of the United States Federal Government.


After the charges from in Henry County, some law enforcement officers contacted the FBI and requested they also charges Battles and Buchanan. After a investigation the FBI charged Battles with the same crimes as Henry County, Assault and Robbery.


After the dust settled, Battles and Buchanan both made statements to the FBI about what happen in June 2014, knowing then of their acceptance of responsibility of what occurred, and both knowing that they would enter a guilty plea. Based on the statements of Battles and Buchanan, the indictments were amended to include both young men.


In October 2015, Battles and Buchanan entered guilty pleas in the United States Federal Court. A sentencing date was set for January 27, 2016.


About four days following the guilty plea, Judson Buchanan, had a sky diving accident. He was working with a company that provided sky diving. Buchanan had made about 127 successful jumps. That day, a Sunday, things went wrong and Buchanan had a 50 mile per hour impact with an embankment. That impact broke his bank and punctured a lung.


Buchanan was air lifted to Bay Medical Center. He underwent immediate surgery, and several surgeries over the three week stay.


From Bay Medical Center Buchanan went to Shephards in Atlanta where he remained for seven weeks. Buchanan was trained to live paralyzed from the waist down. He is undergoing intensive rehab and trips to Atlanta Georgia. Buchanan is required to wear a back brace until his April trip back to Atlanta. Buchanan is confined to a wheelchair.


Judge Watkins took that into consideration, when he sentenced Buchanan for the prank gone bad, his medical condition and his future medical treatment.


Both young men addressed the court. Both apologized to Whitehurst for what happen. There was zero intent to rob or injure anyone on that night. Battles, in his statement said the court system will not see him again.


At the time of this incident neither Battles or Buchanan had an arrest history.


Twentieth Judicial Circuit Court District Attorney Doug Valeska still has the charges against both young men pending in Henry County Circuit Court. The Buchanan cases are pending before Twentieth Judicial Court Judge Larry Anderson and Battles cases are pending before Twentieth Judicial Court Judge Kevin Moulton.


The case of Buchanan, before Judge Anderson, has been set for April 2016.


Some say that is double jeopardy for the young men to be tried in both Federal Court and State Court for the same identical offenses. However the law allows for them to be tried and convicted of the same offenses in both places.


In Federal Court each faced 27 to 33 months on each offense. In the Valeska ( State )  court each face ten years to life on each offense. No trial date has been set for Battles at this time.


Both Battles and Buchanan graduated from Rehobeth High School. The victim, Kelli Whitehurst, is a teacher at Rehobeth Elementary School.


Battles and Buchanan were represented by Attorney Shawn McGhee, Derek Yarbrough, Jim Parkman and William White.


The Federal Prosecutor was John Gear.


The cases were investigated by the Henry County Sheriff Department, Abbeville Police, Alabama State Troopers and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.




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