OZARK, MO – The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced today that on September 7, 2012 James J. France; dob: 9/3/1973 formerly of Strafford, Missouri was sentenced by the Honorable Judge Mark Orr to fifteen (15) years in the Department of Corrections. On May 23, 2012, in front of the Honorable Judge Orr, a bench trial was started. Following the victim testifying, the defendant, James J. France, opted instead to enter a plea of guilty to one count of Statutory Sodomy in the First Degree of a child less than 12 for events occurring between June 21, 2003 and June 20, 2006 pursuant to a plea agreement with the State to cap any sentence in the Missouri Department of Corrections at fifteen (15) years. The range of punishment for Statutory Sodomy in the First Degree of a child less than 12 is life imprisonment or a term of years not less than ten years. Currently, for this type of charge the Department of Corrections calculates a life sentence as 30 years. This is a charge that requires a defendant serve 85% of the sentence before being eligible for parole. This charge also includes lifetime registration as sex offender and lifetime GPS monitoring.
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Christian County – Prosecuting Attorney Amy Fite announces that on Monday July 23, 2012 Kristen Tuohy joined the Prosecuting Attorney’s as a First Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.  Ms. Tuohy received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from University of Missouri in 1999. She received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri School of Law in 2003. Prior to joining the Christian County Prosecutor’s Office, Ms. Tuohy served as a Senior Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office specializing in serious drug offenses. Kristen also worked as an Assistant Attorney General, an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney with the Newton County Prosecutor’s Office and as an Assistant Public Defender.

Ms. Tuohy in her current duties will carry a felony caseload as well as supervise another assistant prosecuting attorney as well as two legal assistants and a victim advocate.  Further, Ms. Tuohy will act as the intern coordinator.  She will work to bring both volunteer legal interns as well as volunteer college interns through the Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.  Ms. Tuohy is filling the vacancy created when Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Ben Miller had the opportunity to join the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services and is now serving as the Technology/Automation Resource Prosecutor for the State of Missouri.

Mr. Miller’s new position includes coordinating efforts statewide to improve criminal history reporting by prosecutors; overseeing the installation and maintenance of the Karpel Case Management System in prosecutors’ offices, and serving as a resource and trainer for prosecutors and their staff across Missouri regarding issues relating to technology and automation.

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The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced today that on July 20, 2012, STEVEN YOUNGBLOOD DOB: 7/13/1985 of Reeds Spring, Missouri plead guilty to and was sentenced for the class A felony of Robbery 1st Degree and the unclassified felony of Armed Criminal Action pursuant to a plea agreement that defendant would receive a cap of 25 years on each count concurrent in the Missouri Department of Corrections. On July 20, 2012 defendant was sentenced on each count as a prior and persistent offender by the Honorable Judge Mark Orr to twenty-five (25) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections.

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The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced today that on July 11, 2012 Paul R. Rose, Jr. DOB: 5/17/1966 of Highlandville, Missouri, was sentenced by the Honorable Judge Mark Orr to twelve (12) years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Probation was denied.

Rose was found guilty by a jury of the unclassified felony of statutory sodomy in the first degree following a jury trial that was held February 6 – 8, 2012. The trial was presided over by the Honorable Mark Orr.

The range of punishment for the unclassified felony of statutory sodomy first degree of a child less than 14 is an authorized term of imprisonment of life imprisonment or a term of years not less than five years in the Missouri Department of Corrections. Under Missouri Law, probation is authorized for the unclassified felony of statutory sodomy in the first degree.

The Christian County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced today that on June 8, 2012 Raymond Reynolds; dob: 12/4/1955 formerly of Ozark, Missouri was sentenced by the Honorable Judge Mark Orr to life imprisonment in the Department of Corrections. On January 18, 2012, in front of the Honorable Judge Orr, Raymond Reynolds entered an Alford plea with no plea agreement to one count of Statutory Sodomy in the First of a Child less than 14 charged as occurring on or about August 17, 2003.

At the time of his plea on January 18, 2012, Raymond Reynolds had previously pled guilty with a plea agreement on January 17, 2006 to six counts of child molestation in the 1st degree. Those counts were charged in five separate felony cases that involved five separate victims under the age of 10. Reynolds is serving an eight year sentence on each of those counts concurrently per the plea agreement. After his incarceration on the child molestation charges, there was a new disclosure of prior ongoing sexual abuse involving a five-year-old child. Following an investigation, charges were filed on July 18, 2006 which ultimately concluded with Raymond Reynolds’ plea on January, 18, 2012 and sentencing on June 8, 2012.

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