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By MARC MILLERWilliam Leon Fisher was sentenced to 10 years in the state penitentiary yesterday after en-terirg a guilty plea to first dc gree manslaughter in the Jan uary 2 slaying of Holly Pond poultry farmer, Vernon WilsonTi chveH, 41.Circuit Solicitor Jack C. Riley told the court that the stateand members of Tidwell’s immediate family had agr ed to allow Fisher to plead guilty to the reduced charge of man-ughter and for h m to receive a 1(1 year prison sentence.Fisher was to ha\e been tried on a charge of first degree murder in the eas.. He was indicted on th. t charge by a grand .Hirv earlier this year. The indictment chargedthat he killed Tidwell by beating and kicking him during a figh early on the night of January 2. Ihe victim w as deadon arrival at Cullman hospital. The inciden- occurred jus* south of Holly Pond on theHa neeviHe road.An hour and a half after he was sentenced to 10 years at hard labor by Circuit Judge K. J. Griffith, Fisher was free under a $5 000 bond pending a probation hearing which was for April 8. He was sentenced shortly afer 10 a.m.and released from the county jail about 11:31 a.m.I A 12 man jury was called to return the first degree manslaughter verdict and to fixthe sentence at 10though a plea ofen ered.In presenting facie case to the called threeyears even guilty wasprima jury. Rileywitnesses to theWILLIAM LEON FISHERstand, the fir-* In'ing Perry Tidwell, six-yearold son of the victim who watched thefatal fight.In his testimony, young Tid w 11 said. ' Fisher drug daddy out. stomped him and kicked him ’. He was on the stand about 10 minutes.Perry was to have been thestate's key witness it Fisher hid gone on trial for murder. He rode with his father and Fisher in the car en route to pick up hks mother at her work when the fatal incident occurred.He told Riley on • xaminu tlon that he watched the figh then ran to a ncaiby home to get help.Assistant State Toxi otologist R fort Johnson, vs ho al-o to-a fiod in ‘he brief trial, said Tidwell apparently died froma curshed chest, caused by “loing sVmped. Riley asked if the f.vtol injuries could haveifeon caused from being h t l» fists. Johnson r plied that the condition of the victims chest was consistent'* with being stomped and not with blows from a fist. Sheriff W. C. IValdr-p wasthe last witness on the stand.Fisher’s attorney, J. N. Po well Jr.. did not cross examine any of the witnesses. Both Riley and Powell, inbrief statements to the jury.asked the 12 men to ratify‘ * con.s i s* ent' ’the ’agreed on” charge and sentence. H nvever. Powellstated to the jury that Fisher was not guilty of first d guemurder.The plea of guilty was entered before Riley present d his prima facie ease. In ac cep ting the plea to the les-charge. Circuit Judge K. J. Griffith told Fisher:Under the constitution, you don’t have to plead guilty. The burden is on the state o prove you guilty,He also asked Fisher if th %and all other constitutionalrights had been explained tohim by his attorney. He noddedthe affirmative.Griffith charged the jury o return a form verdict, alreadyprepared, finding Fisher guiltyof first degree manslaughter and sentencing him to 10 years at hard labor.The jury was out ab ut 8 minutes signing the verdict.After sentencing. Powell asked for a da.e be set for * probation hearing for Fishe . Griffith s t 10 a.m. April 8as the probation hearing dateand set bond at $5,000.• IISRAELI KILLEDBEIRUT. Lebanan (UPO —A 20-year-old Israeli was killedSunday by a Lebanese armv*patrol when he tried tothe border, it was re(xrtelt;lMonday.
Newspaper Details
Cullman Times Democrat
Cullman, Alabama, US
Tue, Mar 30, 1965
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AL, USA 13 Dec 2022
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