Friday Lexington resident Sam Scoggins was sentenced to 90 days in the Lee County Jail for spraying his neighbors with wasp spray. Mr. Scoggins was tried on two Class A Misdemeanor counts of Assault and was found guilty on both counts. Sentence was set at 90 days in the County Jail for each count to run concurrently commencing on July 22, 2013, a $2,000 fine plus Court Costs, and Mr Scoggins waived any right of Appeal.

This case is rare in that most Class A Misdemeanors do not go to a jury trial. County Attorney Martin Placke said that he had only had one other jury trial for a Class A Misdemeanor in a year in Lee County. Placke said, “It is the defendant’s right to a jury trial and Mr. Scoggins chose the jury trial.”

Prosecutor Pro Tem Forrest Sanderson of Bastrop commented, “The jury patiently listened to four days of testimony and evidence about the wasp spray incident. They were presented a defense that Mr. Scoggins argued justified his actions. The jury did not accept that defense. I hope that the jury’s verdict helps to suppress the ongoing conflicts in that Lexington neighborhood.”

The Leader called the Defense Attorney for Mr. Scoggins, Jay Trinary, for a statement and, as of press time, had not heard back from him.

Lexington Police reported on September 12, 2012 that Captain Wooldridge and Officer Nurse responded to the area of 9th and Caldwell St. in the City of Lexington on a disturbance. Upon arrival, contact was made with the victims identified as Mark Stone and Claude Wheeler, Jr. Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Stone advised officers they were assaulted by Samuel Scoggins. The victims advised that they were asked by a neighbor to return Mr. Scoggins’ trash can to the entrance of his property, should he continue to leave it in their yard. Sam Scoggins approached the victims and sprayed them with wasp spray in their face, causing injuries. Both victims sustained chemical burns from the spray, as well as serious irritation to their eyes, lungs and nostrils. Captain Wooldridge took the report and gathered statements from the victims and several neighbors who witnessed the assault. After all the statements were obtained, arrest warrants were also obtained from Justice of the Peace Precinct #3 Danita Smith for the arrest of Sam Scoggins for Assault Causing Bodily Injury.

On October 18, 2012 Lee County Grand Jury indicted Sam Scoggins for two counts of assault causing bodily injury, stemming from an incident where he allegedly sprayed two of his neighbors in the face with wasp spray. This is a Class A Misdemeanor.