Lake Sun
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Mark A. Garber of Versailles entered an Alford Plea Tuesday in Laclede County Circuit Court, according to a press release issued by Morgan County Prosecutor Marvin Opie’s office Tuesday evening.
In Lebanon on a change of venue, Garber entered the plea on charges of endangering the welfare of a child in the second degree.
In an Alford Plea, the defendant does not admit the act and asserts innocence, but admits that sufficient evidence exists with which the prosecution could likely convince a judge or jury to find the defendant guilty, according to the release.
Judge Kenneth Hayden sentenced Garber to 100 days in the Laclede County Jail, which began Sept. 8. Garber was not granted probation, the release states.
Garber, formerly a teacher and coach for the Versailles School District, was charged as follows:
“The Prosecuting Attorney of the County of Morgan, State of Missouri, upon information and belief, charges that the defendant, in violation of Section 568.050, RSMo, committed the Class A misdemeanor of endangering the welfare of a child in the second degree, punishable upon conviction under Sections 558.011 and 560.016, RSMo, in that on or about March 6, 2009, in County of Morgan, State of Missouri, the defendant knowingly encouraged, aided and caused “Female Juvenile 2”, a child of less than 17 years old, to engage in conduct that tended to cause such child to come within the provisions of subdivision 1(2)(d) of Section 211.031, RSMo, such conduct of the child and the defendant consisting of having deviate sexual intercourse with “Female Juvenile 2”.
