Lawyer for hog farmer asks for DNA results

Thursday, September 10, 2009
By Clint Confehr

LEWISBURG -- The attorney for a Bedford County hog farmer, who's charged with polluting four water wells, is asking the state for results of chemical tests, according to court records filed Wednesday.

"I'm told that there was DNA testing and that it was inconclusive," Fayetteville-based attorney Ray Fraley said on behalf of his client, Charles Edward "Charlie" Haskins, 61, of Haskins Chapel Road near Sutton Creek.

Haskins was indicted Aug. 19 on charges of reckless endangerment, vandalism and pollution, alleging that he allowed more than half a million gallons of manure to flow from his farm. He was arrested by Bedford County Deputy Kevin Holton on Aug. 22 when he was booked and released on a $5,000 bond in 31 minutes.

"What were the bacteria in the wells?" Fraley asked after Haskins was arraigned in Marshall County Circuit Court by Judge Robert Crigler who noted Haskins' plea of not guilty.

Complicating scientific inquiry is what happens to hog manure when it seeps into the ground and enters the aquifer, Fraley said. Manure may have been a nutrient for bacteria in the ground, he said of information he wants from the state.

Several months ago, officials from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation brought information to District Attorney Chuck Crawford about Haskins. Crawford took the case directly to the Marshall County Grand Jury, bypassing General Sessions Court. Crawford anticipated assistance from the state Attorney General's Office.

Prosecuting Haskins in Marshall County Circuit Court is Assistant Attorney General Troy McPeek who, according to Fraley, "has been very cooperative in sharing information."

"We'll get to the bottom of this," the defense attorney said.

Haskins has said the distance between where manure was spread and the wells is 1.8 miles.

"What other wells may have been affected or contaminated?" Fraley asked. "It's my understanding that wells between the two were tested and the tests came back negative."

"Mr. Haskins is certainly not a hardened criminal," Fraley said. "He would not have done something like this intentionally."

A Marshall County Circuit Court officer said Haskins' case is to be called again on Oct. 7.

Comments

Note: The nature of the Internet makes it impractical for our staff to review every comment. If you feel that a comment is offensive, please Login or Create an account first, and then you will be able to flag a comment as objectionable. Please also note that those who post comments on t-g.com may do so using a screen name, which may or may not reflect a website user's actual name. Readers should be careful not to assign comments to real people who may have names similar to screen names. Refrain from obscenity in your comments, and to keep discussions civil, don't say anything in a way your grandmother would be ashamed to read.

Mr. Fraley said it all in his last sentence.

-- Posted by HERESAY on Thu, Sep 10, 2009, at 11:46 AM

Charlie is a super sweet man i have known him almost all my life. I just don't see him doing this stuff on purpose.

-- Posted by graduating class on Thu, Sep 10, 2009, at 3:25 PM

I think what the lawyer is asking is.. How do you know it is Charlie's CRAP? Inconclusive means they don't know. How do you skip steps and get a case heard in Criminal court? Sounds like BS to me!

-- Posted by Union on Thu, Sep 10, 2009, at 10:31 PM

Hey Union:

Don't you mean HS? This is after all a story about hogs, not bulls?

Ray Fraley would certainly know a lot about crap. It comes out of his mouth almost everytime he speaks.

-- Posted by bloodhound on Fri, Sep 11, 2009, at 9:02 AM