JONESBORO -- A Greene County justice of the peace pleaded guilty to striking County Judge Jerry Shipman during a Jan. 22 altercation and was sentenced to three years' probation Thursday, officials said.
Ronnie Wood, 58, pleaded to a second-degree battery charge during a brief hearing that was moved to the Craighead County Circuit Court on Wood's request to avoid appearing in court in his hometown, said Clay County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Mike Trail of Rector.
Second Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington assigned Trail to the case after Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kimberly Dale of Paragould cited a conflict because she works for the county.
Circuit Judge Brent Davis sentenced Wood to three years' supervised probation, fined him $1,000 and ordered him to pay $3,100 in restitution for Shipman's medical bills.
Trail said Wood agreed to plea to the charge earlier but requested the hearing be held in Jonesboro.
"He asked not to enter his plea in front of people in Paragould," Trail said.
Wood did not return a telephone message Thursday.
His attorney, Brad Broadaway of Paragould, also did not return calls Thursday.
Wood was accused of striking Shipman during a meeting with the county road department.
Shipman said Thursday that Wood was angry at the county judge because Wood's nephew was laid off from the road department.
"It's sad," Shipman, 73, said. "I'm an old man. We weren't arguing. He just lost it and hit me. It was a hard jar.
"It's a terrible shame that it had to resort to this."
Shipman will retire as the county judge in December. Wood was defeated for his District 11 position during the May Democratic primary.
Trail said Wood indicated he would resign as a justice of the peace Thursday, but had yet to do so as of late Thursday afternoon.
State Desk on 11/21/2014