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Page jury considers his fate
Jurors considering the fate of a Fort Scott man accused in a sexual abuse case will continue their deliberations at 8:30 a.m. today.
The panel got the case at about noon Thursday and adjourned at about 5:30 p.m., Bourbon County Attorney Terri Johnson said. The case against Douglas Page was tried in Bourbon County 6th District Judge Mark Ward's courtroom.
Attorneys rested their case and offered closing statements Thursday morning. Page has been charged with one count of child abuse, one count of aggravated criminal sodomy, one count of aiding and abetting aggravated criminal sodomy, and one count of promoting obscenity to a minor in relation to an incident involving a 3-year-old relative in September 2008.
Page's attorney Robert Myers took time Thursday morning to explain the case. His time was brief, as he later said in his closing statements, because he did not have to prove or disprove anything to the jury. Page's mother and a friend of 19 years were the only ones called to testify in support of Page.
Page's mother said that if she was aware of the actions going on, she would have reported her son to the authorities herself.
Likewise, a longtime friend said the same. Myers repeatedly asked Page's mother if she was telling the truth and that she was not protecting her son. She repeatedly responded saying her testimony was the truth.
During his closing statements, Myers asked the jury to carefully weigh the evidence and testimony. He expressed concern about inconsistencies between the original statements made by officers and witnesses and the testimony they provided during the trial.
"It was two years ago, As time goes (by), memory fades," he said. "There are a lot of inconsistencies in the testimony."
Myers went on to discuss the topic of seizures, which was a big topic throughout the trial. Page originally said the bruises on the victim's face occurred when he attempted to force the victim's mouth open while having seizure.
Testimony throughout the trial provided instances in which relatives of the victim reported previous seizure activity.
Johnson argued against Myers' statements. "Mr. Myers says there is a long history of seizures. ... There's a long history of people going and saying he had seizures."
Johnson spent a majority of her closing statement discussing facts that were presented, including several admissions made by Page and his minor accomplice regarding the origination of the bruises on the victim and the child abuse.
"(Page) gave all kinds of explanations for those bruises," Johnson said. "(Page) admits he was angry. He admits he was mad."
The defendant has been held in the Southeast Regional Correctional Center since his arrest.