Guilty plea leads to probation

Chad Gibson pleaded guilty before Judge Replogle on Nov. 27 to a Class A misdemeanor of domestic assault in the fourth degree.

Initially, the Fordland resident was charged with a Class D Felony of abuse or neglect of a child following a reported domestic disturbance on Jan. 24 of this year.

According to a probable cause statement from the Webster County Sheriff’s Office, authorities responded to a call from Dispatch to a residence. Upon arrival, they spoke to the victim, who explained in detail the incident; authorities noticed marks on the victim consistent with their story; when Gibson was questioned, he denied any incident occurred. Shortly afterward, he was arrested.

From there, Gibson has made bond and attended court hearings. During that time, his attorney and the Webster County Prosecutor worked out a plea deal. Both parties agreed to a Suspended Imposition of Sentence (SIS), finalized on Nov. 27.

In exchange for the charge to be reduced from a Class D felony to a Class A misdemeanor, Gibson would waive his right to a trial, plead guilty, and go on probation.

Gibson will be under the supervision of the Judicial Services of the Ozarks and will have the following conditions with his probation.

He must complete Parenting Classes and Anger Management Counseling, serve 20 hours of community service, pay $150 to the Juvenile Justice Preservation Fund, and can not contact the victim unless it is supervised.