Maroon87
02-27-2006, 07:14 PM
Jury finds parent guilty in shooting of coach
Associated Press
CANTON, Texas (AP) - An East Texas jury on Monday found a man guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the shooting of a high school football coach.
The same panel then began considering a penalty Monday afternoon for Jeff Doyal Robertson, who faces a prison sentence of two to 20 years. The jury in this small town about 60 miles east of Dallas rejected a charge of aggravated assault on a public servant in favor of the lesser charge.
Robertson's defense attorney argued then-Canton high school football coach Gary Joe Kinne wasn't a public servant when he was shot. He said a high school football coach doesn't meet the standard of a public servant under the state penal code, which doesn't explicitly mention school district employees.
Robertson, a hearing and air conditioning repairman, shot Kinne in April. Kinne was critically injured but has since recovered and is on the coaching staff of Baylor University.
Robertson's son played on Canton's freshmen football team along with Kinne's son, who was the quarterback.
The coach testified last week that Robertson passed by his office and called out to him. Kinne said he found Robertson leaning casually against a wall in the hallway outside the dressing room.
"His face looked kind of lifeless," Kinne said. "It looked evil."
Kinne said that Robertson smirked but didn't say anything before lifting a gun and shooting him. The blast pushed him back against the back wall of the dressing room.
Associated Press
CANTON, Texas (AP) - An East Texas jury on Monday found a man guilty of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in the shooting of a high school football coach.
The same panel then began considering a penalty Monday afternoon for Jeff Doyal Robertson, who faces a prison sentence of two to 20 years. The jury in this small town about 60 miles east of Dallas rejected a charge of aggravated assault on a public servant in favor of the lesser charge.
Robertson's defense attorney argued then-Canton high school football coach Gary Joe Kinne wasn't a public servant when he was shot. He said a high school football coach doesn't meet the standard of a public servant under the state penal code, which doesn't explicitly mention school district employees.
Robertson, a hearing and air conditioning repairman, shot Kinne in April. Kinne was critically injured but has since recovered and is on the coaching staff of Baylor University.
Robertson's son played on Canton's freshmen football team along with Kinne's son, who was the quarterback.
The coach testified last week that Robertson passed by his office and called out to him. Kinne said he found Robertson leaning casually against a wall in the hallway outside the dressing room.
"His face looked kind of lifeless," Kinne said. "It looked evil."
Kinne said that Robertson smirked but didn't say anything before lifting a gun and shooting him. The blast pushed him back against the back wall of the dressing room.