A woman in Gilmore is in legal trouble following an alleged encounter on a school bus, according to local sources. The woman, who is married to the small Arkansas town’s mayor, is facing charges for violent crimes, including second-degree battery. So far, no court date has been announced.
According to the report, a young girl related to the mayor’s wife, who did not usually ride the local school bus, was given special permission to do so on April 9. The bus driver alleges she was not made aware of that clearance. As a result, she was obliged to leave the girl at school in the care of her teachers at the end of the school day.
The accused woman was waiting at the bus stop for the girl to arrive. When she was found to be absent, the woman allegedly boarded the bus and threatened to retrieve a gun and shoot the bus driver, before allegedly striking her in the head and causing bruising. A 15-year-old on the bus apparently also joined the fray, according to video of the incident that has not been released to the public at this time. Both the woman and the teenager were arrested, and the woman was charged with second-degree battery and uttering terroristic threats. The bus driver is not being charged.
Violent crimes can take on many forms, but battery certainly counts. However, it can be difficult to ascertain the difference between assault and defense, even in video evidence. This is why Arkansas prosecutors will have to prove to the court each and every element of the crimes charged. A savvy criminal defense attorney will focus on protecting the woman’s legal rights while defending her innocence at every stage of the proceedings.
Source: wreg.com, “Wife of Arkansas town mayor charged in school bus fight“, Shay Arthur, April 11, 2018