Ex-UCA exec enters appeal

Commercial burglary conviction netted Gillean 3 years

Former University of Central Arkansas Chief of Staff Jack Gillean has appealed his commercial burglary conviction and asserts that the trial court erred by admitting certain evidence.

ADVERTISEMENT

More headlines

It was not clear whether Gillean's appeal, filed Tuesday and placed on the Arkansas Supreme Court's website Wednesday, would go before that court or the Arkansas Court of Appeals.

In a 723-page brief, Gillean's attorneys argued that the trial court "abused its discretion by admitting evidence that the appellant [Gillean] had sexual relations with a male prosecution witness" and by "admitting evidence that the appellant drank alcohol with UCA students."

In March, a Van Buren County Circuit Court jury convicted Gillean, 58, of six counts of commercial burglary in a test-cheating scandal at the university in Conway. Gillean was charged in Faulkner County, but Circuit Judge Charles Clawson Jr. moved the case to Clinton because of pretrial publicity.

Gillean's attorneys also argued in the appeal that the trial court "erred in admitting evidence of illicit drug use during appellant's sentencing phase."

The prosecution broached the drug issue through police testimony about text messages indicating a UCA student was asking Gillean or someone using Gillean's phone for marijuana and that Gillean or the person using his phone replied that he had "plenty of weed ... that should be smoked."

In November, the prosecuting attorney's office told Clawson that it had decided not to pursue the two remaining charges against Gillean that it had planned to try him on separately.

Gillean, who was a longtime administrator and general counsel for UCA before becoming chief of staff, also was charged with one felony count of fraudulent insurance acts and one misdemeanor count of filing a false financial statement.

Gillean is free on bond pending his appeal. He was sentenced to three years in prison and ordered to pay $35,000 in fines.

Clawson also sentenced Gillean to 10 years of probation. Authorities never have said how it is possible for Gillean to be on probation while also in prison.

Gillean was charged after former student Cameron Stark said Gillean had given him UCA-issued keys and a key card with the knowledge that Stark intended to enter professors' offices and steal tests.

Gillean resigned from his job June 15, 2012, days after Stark gave UCA police Gillean's keys. Stark was being questioned at the time about a drug theft on campus. No one was charged in that theft.

State Desk on 12/18/2014

Upcoming Events