James ReynoldsA judge agreed today to dismiss an assault case against the "Voice of the Mocs" announcer who was charged earlier this month with choking his 12-year-old daughter during an argument.
Assistant District Attorney Alan Dunn said there wasn't sufficient probable cause to continue prosecuting James Reynolds for the Aug. 2 incident. Dunn said he interviewed Reynolds' daughter and received evidence that showed "an independent source" contributed to the marks the officer saw that night.
Police went to a possible domestic violence call on Flagstone Drive around 9 p.m. on Aug. 2 and found a woman standing with two children on the edge of the road, court records show.
The woman said her husband, Reynolds, grabbed his daughter, pushed her against the couch and choked her by the throat during an argument.
An officer noted red marks around the girl's neck and back consistent with the story provided, but Reynolds denied grabbing or choking the girl. He was arrested on charges of aggravated assault and aggravated child abuse.
"The marks on her neck were not caused by her dad, but caused by a cat where she'd spent the night before," Reynolds' attorney, Jerry Summers, told General Sessions Court Judge Alex McVeagh. "And that was corroborated by two witnesses."
Summers said he was not criticizing the police, but noted the officer on scene did not have that information.
"There's a thin line between parental discipline when it comes to abuse," Summers said. "He loves his daughter, she loves him, they have a good family."
Judge McVeagh also dismissed Reynolds' aggravated child abuse Wednesday after prosecutors moved to drop it.
Reynolds will take an anger management class and had no prior criminal history before this arrest, Summers said.
He has been the host of the 9-10 a.m. hour on 102.3 FM, the 'Talkmonster' since 1996 and the "Voice of the Mocs" for football and men's basketball for 37 years.
This is a developing story. Please check back later for more information.