Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 19, 1993 TAG: 9303190276
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Medium
RADFORD WOUNDING CHARGE TAKEN UNDER ADVISEMENT
A malicious wounding charge against a Radford University student accused of hitting a woman student with a glass beer mug was taken under advisement Thursday in Radford Circuit Court.Jeffrey Alan Clark, 22, will have to perform 200 hours of community service within nine months and pay Mary Ellen Peters about $9,500 for current and expected medical bills within 90 days. The charge will be under advisement for three years.
Clark is to avoid contact with Peters, other than classes they may share at Radford University, and Peters has agreed not to pursue any judicial proceedings at the university.
At a preliminary hearing last year, Peters testified that Clark struck her in the face with a glass beer mug after arguing with one of her friends. Peters and Clark lived in the same apartment complex on Norwood Street.
Peters was cut on her face, neck and chest and required stitches, she testified.
Peters testified that Clark had ongoing differences with her because she is a lesbian.
Peters had attended a high school prom in Manassas in May 1991 with her girlfriend, then a student at the school. A reporter from Glamour magazine went along to record the evening.
Thursday, Circuit Judge Duane Mink agreed to take the charge under advisement based on an agreement reached between Peters and Clark.
Commonwealth's Attorney Randal Duncan said Peters' attorney, John Quigley of Christiansburg, and Clark's attorney, Bobby Turk of Radford, had negotiated the agreement.
Duncan said that if the case had gone to trial, he would have shown that Clark struck Peters in the face with the mug April 29 after an argument with some of Peters' friends.
Duncan said Clark was on a third-floor balcony of the apartments while Peters and some friends were walking dogs.
"He yelled `dykes' from the balcony," Duncan said, and began a verbal confrontation with one of the women, which continued after Clark walked downstairs.
Turk said Clark's position is that Peters struck him.
"He did not hit her with anything," Turk said. Instead, the glass shattered when Peters hit Clark, who was holding the beer mug and trying to "stop the oncoming rush of her."
Turk said Clark denies calling the women "dykes" or that the confrontation had anything to do with Peters' sexual preference.
Peters has filed a civil lawsuit against Clark and her landlord, Price Real Estate Inc. The suit asks for $100,000 in damages from Clark and $50,000 in damages from Price. Clark contends that he was acting in self-defense and Price has denied any responsibility for the incident.