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Charges may be amended in rock case
Published Friday, October 24, 2008
GREENUP, Ky. — Hours after a trial date was set in the Portsmouth Indian Head Rock trial, the defense team learned the prosecution wants to change the original charge.
In June, Ironton historian Steve Shaffer, 51, was indicted for his role in the removal of what has been colloquially termed the Portsmouth Indian Head Rock, an 8-ton sandstone that has rested in the Ohio River for more than 100 years. The rock was a longtime tourist attraction for residents on this side of the river until it was permanently submerged in 1920 with the building of a lock and dam system up and down the Ohio.
Thursday in the courtroom of Greenup Circuit Court Judge Robert Conley, an Aug. 3 date was set for the trial of the Commonwealth of Kentucky against Shaffer. Shaffer and a team of divers were involved in pulling the rock from the river — the river is under the jurisdiction of Kentucky.
Kentucky claims Shaffer committed a Class D felony for allegedly removing what they say is a protected archaeological object from the river. A Class D felony is punishable by one to five years in prison. A specially called Greenup grand jury indicted Shaffer along with David Vetter, a Portsmouth-based diver.
However, lead defense attorney Mike Curtis said this morning that late Thursday afternoon, he received a motion made by Commonwealth’s Attorney Clifford Duvall that he wants to amend the original indictment. The change would be to add that there was a disturbance of an archaeological site.
Curtis said this morning that he had no immediate comment since he had yet to review the motion.
A call was made to Duvall’s office but he was said to be in a hearing.
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Comments
Posted by Vil (anonymous) on October 24, 2008 at 11:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Somebody got a dump truck? I'll gladly throw some cash in on some gravel if we can unload a dump truck full onto the Greenup County Courthouse's front doorstep. That way they have all the rocks they need.
Posted by PointofView (anonymous) on October 24, 2008 at 12:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I guess the fact that Mr. Shaffer knew full well what he was doing was a crime at the time he spent the money to extricate the "rock" means nothing. I think he should be held accountable for his actions as if it were any other piece of property. Just because you want something doesn't give you the right to take it. As silly as the whole issue seems while the economy is struggling, it still breaks down to the breaking of a law. Mr. Shaffer is a very intelligent man, who just got called on his actions. I suggest he plead down to something and give the "rock" back and quit trying to make himself, and the whole area look foolish.
Posted by StopSocialism08 (anonymous) on October 25, 2008 at 2:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
PointofView you are a moron!!! You think Steve thought, even for a second, he was doing something wrong??? Get real. Nobody could even see the stupid rock before it was brought up. This idiot Congressman from Louisville that dreamed up this whole mess probably never saw the river before.
Posted by PointofView (anonymous) on October 25, 2008 at 10:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Name calling serves no purpose other than to show inability to convey an educated viewpoint. Steve is a respected local historian, right? It stands to reason that if Mr. Shaffer is able to become a well thought of local historian, he would have at some point encountered the debate and record of Kentucky listing the "rock" as a state antiquity. Besides that, anyone that can read can clearly see that the location of the "rock" was in Kentucky territorial waters. I can only say that you must personally be a friend of Mr. Shaffer. If he didn't know he was doing anything wrong, why not hand the "rock" over when it came to light that Kentucky wanted it back? Mr. Shaffer has made it known that his family is connected to the "rock", and I believe that he wanted it where he chose to display it for that reason. This crime doesn't align itself with something such as murder, rape, arson etc. So I do not believe Mr. Shaffer felt it would be as huge a deal as it obviously has become. On a side note, I too want to stop socialism 08.
Posted by Kieth (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 6:21 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Mr. Shaffer knew full well what he was doing was a crime at the time he spent the money to extricate the "rock" means nothing.
Now just tell me what kind of criminal spends money to commit a crime. I always believed most crimes were committed to get money; I guess times have changed.
Posted by PointofView (anonymous) on October 28, 2008 at 9:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
A person who is a local historian, and this definitely is a historic piece of history now, and has stated family association to the "rock". That is who spends money to extricate a "rock". Mr. Shaffer's name will forever be associated with the "rock" regardless of where it sits. I don't believe Mr. Shaffer is an evil or by any stretch the worst criminal out there, or that he needs to be incarcerated, but he needs to pay for restitution and return the "rock" to KY. It's a really strange thing to me that people don't see the bottom line of right and wrong here.
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