CULLMAN – Former Cullman High School Principal Dr. Elton Bouldin on Tuesday appealed Cullman County Circuit Judge Martha Williams’ bench trial verdict of guilty, asking for a new trial by jury.
A March 13, 2017 jury trial date has been set. The new trial was to be presided over by Circuit Judge Greg Nicholas; however, Nicholas quickly recused himself on Wednesday.
Earlier this month, Bouldin was found guilty by Williams of third-degree trespassing (instead of first). On a second charge, failure to report an incident of school violence, Williams found Bouldin not guilty.
Bouldin was sentenced to 10 days of labor and a $200 fine; however, Williams suspended his sentence and instead placed Bouldin on unsupervised probation for six months. He had two weeks to appeal the ruling.
The charges against Bouldin stemmed from an incident in April of this year when he and Cullman High School Assistant Principal Mark Stephens went to the home of a student, Justin Butts. The two educators entered the home-Bouldin says they were invited in; Butts says they were not.
The student’s mother, Julee Butts, later swore out a warrant against Bouldin and Stephens, who subsequently turned themselves in and were released the same day.
Bouldin retired in August after 28 years in the Cullman City Schools system.
For full details of Bouldin’s trial, see http://www.cullmansense.com/articles/2016/10/11/bouldin-verdict-possible-wednesday
Stephens is scheduled to go on trial Nov. 10.
Bouldin Appeal by cullmansense on Scribd
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