The jury trial that keeps on giving gave a little more to Charles County Circuit Court Monday, Sept. 15 before Judge Amy J. Bragunier.

Back on Sept. 4, Lamont Wendell Butler, 42 of Bryans Road, faced two counts—one for violation of a protective order and another for second-degree assault involving his ex-girlfriend, Cheryl Chandler. During the trial, Chandler testified she was in a relationship with Butler in 2012, but dissolved the relationship in July of 2013.

“I had to get a protective order just to get him removed from my home,” Chandler told the court.

Chandler alleged during her testimony that on Sept. 4, 2013, Butler had texted her, saying he wanted to meet with her on his lunch break so he could reclaim some of his personal belongings from her. Chandler drove to a parking lot with her teenage daughter, parked next to Butler’s car and got out and got into the car with Butler.

Chandler alleged that the defendant started yelling at her.

“I became scared,” she said.

“How did you respond when you got scared of him?” Charles County Assistant State’s Attorney Francis Grenados asked.

“I was taunting him,” she said. “I didn’t believe him.”

She said Butler grabbed her by the face and she left the vehicle, threw some of his papers out of his car and called police.

Officer Ronald Gass of the Charles County Sheriff’s Office said he responded to Acton Lane in Waldorf for report of a violation of a protection order. Gass said he found Chandler “visibly shaken” and found red marks on her face consistent with assault.

Grenados also called retired Charles County deputy Gordon Brightwell to the stand. Brightwell served court papers to Butler, but could not recognize him in court.

Public defender Chris Stuart had argued prior to the jury’s being brought out to hear the case that the credibility of the state’s main witness, Chandler, was in question. Several times he asked for a mistrial.

“She has reason to lie,” Stuart told the court. “She never got what she wanted the first time she took my client to court. Now she thinks she can.” 

When the jury returned with a verdict, they declared Butler not guilty of the first charge of violating the protection order and told the judge they were “hopelessly deadlocked” on the charge of second-degree assault.

Bragunier declared a mistrial on the second charge, for which Butler will face retrial in March.

But Monday, Sept. 15 he was back in court before Bruganier again, this time after Chandler charged that he attempted to make contact with her in the parking lot of the court house after they both appeared at a hearing in Charles County District Court last week. Chandler told the court she went back to the courthouse and notified police.

Grenados urged the court to send Butler to jail until his trial in March.

Stuart explained to Bragunier during the hearing that the allegation boiled down to Chandler’s word against Butler’s, citing that although Chandler claimed on the witness stand that there were other people in the parking lot, she couldn’t actually provide a witness to verify her claims.

“I have to confess this is somewhat exhausting and a little flabberghasting,” he told the court.

“We have a very clear history between Ms. Chandler and Mr. Butler and there is an active protective order,” Grenados stated. “I don’t think this is a false complaint. What else are we going to do? He will not listen. We are well aware that contact between the two of them can escalate. We recommend that the court revoke his bond.”

Stuart argued that if Butler was sent to jail he would sit for six months until his trial.

“Six months on a misdemeanor? That would be hugely unjust,” he said.

Grenados argued that “she was not making it up. And testimony of a single witness can be sufficient.”

Bragunier said that revoking the bond and putting Butler in jail for six months would be “draconian.”

She rendered a decision that the two were to not have contact again under any circumstances before the trial date in March.

“I’m warning you, Mr. Butler,” the judge told the defendant. “Don’t even look in her direction.”

“He wants nothing to do with her, your honor,” Stuart replied.

Contact Joseph Norris at joe.norris@thebaynet.com