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Mistrial Declared In Boot Camp Dragging Case
A mistrial has been declared in the trial of a director and employee of a Texas Christian boot camp who are accused of dragging a teenage girl behind a van.
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(May 4, 2008)--A judge has declared a mistrial in the assault case against the director of a Christian boot camp and an employee who are accused of dragging a 15-year-old girl behind a van after she fell behind during a morning run.
The judge made the ruling Friday after a jury deliberated more than 13 hours over two days.
The final vote was 9-3 in favor of a not guilty verdict for 47-year-old Pastor Charles Flowers and 11-1 in favor of a not guilty verdict for 21-year-old Stephanie Bassitt.
Flowers and Bassitt of San Antonio-based Love Demonstrated Ministries had been on trial for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Those charges were reduced Monday by the judge, who was swayed by arguments by defense lawyers that the van could not be considered a deadly weapon as described in the indictment.
A conviction on the misdemeanor simple assault charge carried as much as a year in county jail and as much as a $4,000 fine.
The 32-day boot camp for girls ages 13 to 19 includes 28 days at a facility near San Antonio, then four days at a camp in Banquete, about 10 miles west of Corpus Christi.
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