EKB News

A former prison guard convicted last week of smuggling drugs into the Big Sandy Federal Penitentiary in Martin County has requested a new trial according to a motion filed in federal court this week. According to lawyers for Alice Stapleton, they believe that the judge in case should not have kept a witness off the stand. Kenneth Ray Bates reportedly pleaded the 5th when called to testify, but lawyers for Stapleton said Bates should not have been allowed to evoke that right, since charges against him had been dropped at the time. Stapleton says Bates threatened her life in order to get her to smuggle drugs into the prison. Attorneys say the judge will make a decision about the motion in about a week.