A Springtown man who was convicted of repeatedly sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl and sentenced to serve 40 years in prison with no parole will serve that sentence, after the Court of Appeals in Corpus Christi ruled Wednesday, May 6.
In his appeal, James Earnest Blackmon claimed he should get a new trial because the judge did not strike jurors he claimed could not fairly consider the entire range of punishment. The Corpus Christi court rejected that argument, writing that if the jurors were so objectionable, Blackmon should have eliminated them from consideration with his peremptory, or discretionary, strikes. He did not.
“Our trial and appellate prosecutors ensured that this dangerous predator will never again have the freedom to victimize Parker County children,” Parker County District Attorney Jeff Swain said. “With victims past and present courageously describing what Mr. Blackmon did to them and jurors listening to heartbreaking testimony, our community truly came together to protect our children.”
