Catt to serve four years in prison

Saturday, December 22, 2007

By Justin Messner - Herald Tribune

Nevada, Mo. -- A Fort Scott man was sentenced to serve four years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to three separate charges and having his probation from a previous charge revoked.

Charles Catt, 24, was charged with two counts of second degree assault and one count of leaving the scene of an accident after reportedly striking brothers Jason and Josh Hallam of Nevada with a car, during a confrontation on Oct. 16.

According to a report filed by Nevada Police Sergeant Jeff Baker, around 9 p.m., Oct. 16, Catt drove a red 1991 Plymouth Acclaim, hitting the brothers and dragging Jason Hallam about 54 feet under the vehicle, in the parking lot of Elmwood Estates. Jason Hallam remained hospitalized for several days after the incident but has since returned home to continue his recovery, family members said. Josh Hallam had no serious injuries from the incident.

Two people were originally arrested for the crime, Catt and Matthew Leer, Fort Scott, Kan., who was released from custody after a lack of evidence linking him to the crime was found, according to Vernon County Prosecuting Attorney Lynn Ewing III.

Catt, who had been held on $50,000 bond since the incident stood before Circuit Judge James R. Bickel on Tuesday to plead guilty to the charges. Bickel sentenced Catt to three concurrent four-year prison terms in the Missouri Department of Corrections for the filed charges. Bickel also added a four-year term to run concurrent with the previous three after deciding to revoke Catt's probation. His five-year probation sentence was for the similar charge of leaving the scene of an accident where there was an injury or property damage.

Catt was transferred to booking at a facility in St. Joseph, Mo., then transferred to a state prison.

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I just happen to be one of many of Jason Hallam's aunts and I just want to say what a slap in Jason's face this so called sentence was. My daughter and I went to every court hearing they held for Charles Catt just waiting to see what kind of justice might be served. I was totally apalled at this so called sentence he received for almost killing my nephew. Jason spent over a month in intensive care in Joplin literally fighting for his life and for that man to receive such a light sentence was an absolute joke. I sat there during the final hearing listening to the so called facts of the case and I really wanted to stand up and scream telling the prosecutor he should have done some researching and gotten his facts straight prior to sentencing. Not only did he have it wrong as to which brother was seriously injured but he also only said they spent a few days in the hospital due to injuries to their head, arm, and back. There was no mention of jason having both lungs collapsed and having to be hooked to a ventilator for over a month and there definately was no mention of the fact that a week after the incident happened that the doctor looked at my brother and said jason more then likely would not survive and it would be a miracle if he did. Well to anybody that cares Jason is our walking miracle and we thank God every day for keeping him alive but Jason will have breathing trouble and damage to his lungs for the rest of his life because of what Charles Catt did to him but none of that seemed to matter to the so called justice system in this town. I moved away from here several years ago and I now remember why I did and why I wish I had never moved back here to this town. This town and it's so called justice system will never change, it's all about who you are, who you're related to, how much money you have, and who's pockets you're lining. As I said and will continue to say until the day I die this sentencing was nothing but a big joke and a huge slap in Jason's face!!!!!

-- Posted by ck64772 on Thu, Dec 27, 2007, at 5:32 PM

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