Animal abuse case set for March trial

Mason accused of failing to provide adequate care for bloodhound

A former Washington County jailer’s trial has been scheduled for March 4.

St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney Wendy Wexler Horn said Lance Mason’s misdemeanor animal abuse case was recently set for trial in Washington County before St. Francois County Associate Judge James H. Kelly.

Mason is charged with two counts of misdemeanor animal abuse. Horn was named the special prosecutor after Washington County Prosecuting Attorney John Rupp disqualified himself from the case.

Mason is accused of failing to provide adequate care and treatment for Mosley, a bloodhound which the Washington County Sheriff’s Department adopted and was going to train.

If convicted, Mason could be sentenced up to a year in the county jail or fined $1,000 on each charge.

He isn’t the only former Washington County Sheriff’s Department employee with a trial scheduled next year. The former chief deputy, Vern Wilson, who is running for Sheriff, has a trial scheduled Feb. 26 for his criminal charge. His attorney recently tried unsuccessfully to get a quicker court date.

Wilson is charged with second-degree assault. The charge alleges in 2005, Wilson assaulted an inmate who was incarcerated in the Washington County Jail.

In other cases, Leadington Police Chief Cledith Wakefield’s case has been scheduled for a preliminary hearing on March 5.

Wakefield has been charged in St. Francois County with felony forgery and misdemeanor stealing. The charges allege Wakefield, who has been chief for about 25 years, cashed a former police officer’s last paycheck in September and didn’t give the money to the officer. The check was for $330.

A preliminary hearing is held to determine whether there is enough evidence for the case to go to circuit court for trial. Defendants have the right to waive their preliminary hearing.

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