Fairest of Fair has charges dismissed

By DUANE SHERRILL / Staff Reporter for the Southern Standard

SMEDLEY

Criminal charges have been dismissed against the reigning Fairest of the Fair and her roommates after a teen-age guest in their home was hospitalized after taking an overdose.

Charges of contributing to the delinquency of a minor were dismissed Monday against 2004 Fairest of the Fair Madesta Smedley, 19, and fellow housemates, Amanda M. Kisamore, 24, Lucas F. Black, 19, and Cole A. Langford, 19, due to lack of evidence following a hearing before Juvenile Court Judge Larry Ross. The charge was a misdemeanor which carried up to an 11-month, 29-day jail sentence but is a crime generally settled by fine and sometimes a short jail term.

The group, which shares an apartment on Warren Street, were charged in May after a 17-year-old boy ended up hospitalized for taking an overdose of pills. Police reported finding numerous beer bottles and cans at the scene, prompting police to charge all four people on the lease.

In response to their charges, the group appeared in court Monday and claimed they did not realize the boy was at their home until they were rousted in the pre-dawn hours and told he was ill. Smedley, who noted she did not approve of drug use at her home, maintained she was sleeping in another part of the apartment and the teen must have let himself in.

Once the group was made aware of the boy’s overdose, however, they did not seek immediate medical assistance. Instead, saying the boy was still conscious at the time, they opted to try to contact someone with medical training who lived in the neighborhood to help while one of the group went searching through area stores to buy something to make the boy throw up, hoping it would reduce the affects of the overdose.

While not fully believing the account, Judge Ross dismissed charges and cited lack of evidence that the group knew about the boy taking the drugs in their home. However, Judge Ross warned he has received several complaints about questionable happenings at the Warren Street home.

The dismissal means Smedley will now be free to fulfill her duties as Fairest of the Fair, with her only remaining obligation being to transfer the crown to the next winner in September. Had she been convicted, the Fair Board could have taken action and banned her from the ceremonial crown exchange.