Father charged for spanking 16-year-old-Daughter claims he went too far
A father faces domestic assault charges after his 16-year-old daughter claims he went too far in spanking her during a family argument ‘ a spanking the father says his daughter is blowing way out of proportion because she wants to go back and live with her mother.
The defendant, John T. Cox, will have to wait until Friday for a special judge to hear his case after he let it slip, during his time on the witness stand, that he was represented in his divorce by General Sessions Judge Larry Ross’ wife, Tami Poston Ross, thereby rendering him unable to continue hearing the case. An annoyed Judge Ross declared the hearing a mistrial after over 20 minutes of testimony Tuesday.
Earlier in the hearing, Cox’s eldest daughter maintained her father left marks on her buttocks and thigh during a severe whipping he gave her in which he allegedly landed 20 to 30 blows. She said he pulled down her shorts and used his hands to spank her.
Mr. Cox maintains he only landed a couple of blows to his daughter’s rear ‘ after she cursed his girlfriend and took a swing at him.
The girl told friends and later a case worker at her school about the spanking, which prompted her mother to be called. She then went to the emergency room where an officer saw the marks, at least one of which was still in the shape of a hand.
The teen told the court the incident began after she told her father’s girlfriend not to give her little brother any more medicine because she had already administered the medicine.
‘I was afraid she would overdose my brother,’ the girl testified.
The altercation between the girl and her father’s girlfriend caused a fight between father and daughter which ended with the spanking, with both father and daughter having two dramatically opposing memories of the severity of the whipping.
‘He pushed me over onto the floor and sat on top of me and started hitting me,’ the girl testified.
Mr. Cox further suggested his daughter was lying about the severity of the spanking so she could live with her mother who, in turn, would allow her more access to her (the daughter’s) boyfriend. Mr. Cox said he found disturbing notes between his daughter and her boyfriend causing him to be wary of their relationship. Mr. Cox noted he was granted custody of his children, something he believes made his daughter mad.
‘She said thank you afterwards,’ Mr. Cox recalled, suggesting his daughter planned to use the whipping as a way to live with her mother.
Even though the hearing was nearly over when Mr. Cox made the revelation about who was representing him in the divorce, the entire case will have to be heard from its beginning by the special judge.