HARRISBURG, Ark. – A Harrisburg man was acquitted of multiple counts of rape and sexual assault last week in Poinsett County.
A jury comprised of eight women and four men found Jerry H. Collier, Jr., 60, not guilty of two counts of Rape and four counts of Sexual Assault in the Second Degree on Thursday.
Collier was represented at trial by attorneys Zach Morrison of Lake City and Martin E. Lilly of Jonesboro. The state was represented by deputy prosecutors Jimmy Turnbow and Bradley McBride.
The unanimous verdict came after a three-day jury trial held at the Poinsett County Detention Center Courtroom in Harrisburg. Collier faced maximum sentencing exposure of two life sentences, plus 80 years, if convicted.
“Twelve unbiased citizens of Poinsett County heard this matter over the last three days and delivered justice to Jerry Collier,” Morrison said. “On behalf of Mr. Collier and my co-counsel, Mr. Lilly, we appreciate the time and careful consideration of the jurors.”
Collier was arrested in September 2023 and was held for over four months on a $300,000.00 bond, a press release from the defense lawyers said. In January 2024, he was able to secure a bond reduction and has been free since that time.
“Mr. Collier has been presumed innocent at all times, yet these baseless, uncorroborated allegations cost him four months of his freedom awaiting trial, tens of thousands of dollars in legal expenses, and untold amount of damage to his reputation and standing in the community,” Morrison said. “And to think it took a jury only an hour and 11 minutes to set him free once they began deliberations.”
Prosecuting Attorney Sonia F. Hagood released the following statement to NEA Report:
“We respect the jury’s verdict and thank them for their time and careful consideration of this case,” Hagood said. “In many child sexual abuse cases, the only admissible evidence available is the child’s disclosure and statements. When victims feel strong enough to testify, they deserve the opportunity to share their story and have a jury decide how to weigh it.”
A petition to seal the case files has been filed by the defense team.
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It’s the duty of the prosecutor to look at the evidence in the case and determine whether charges should be brought against the defendant, an innocent person until proven guilty. She must be sure that the defendant is guilty before putting them through hell, not just giving someone an opportunity to make accusations. She failed.