Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
CLOVIS — A Clovis man was acquitted Friday on a pair of felony charges in district court.
Jeffery Loadwick, 46, was charged in March for child abuse and intimidation of a witness, both third-degree felonies.
The intimidation charge was dismissed following the prosecution’s case, and a Curry County jury needed less than an hour to find Loadwick not guilty on the abuse charge, according to defense attorney Michael Garrett.
Garrett said the case never should have been brought, because Loadwick was not guilty and the state didn’t have evidence to support its case.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Brian Stover prosecuted the case. He said the child witness was “overwhelmed emotionally,” and had difficulty communicating under the circumstances.
“It was exceptionally difficult for the 13-year-old girl to be in the same room as her abuser,” Stover said. “I agree with the jury’s decision. I understand why they had to acquit him.”
Three other witnesses testified in the case heard in Judge Matthew Chandler’s court — Loadwick, a state police officer and a representative from Children, Youth and Families.
