Michael Whitesell ? the man accused of beating up a mentally handicapped man at Hot Shotz bar in Winfield earlier this year ? is scheduled to stand trial for aggravated battery Nov. 9, Cowley County Attorney Chris Smith said.
Whitesell is accused of attacking Chris Minor outside the bar this spring, following an incident involving a pool game. The defendant was denied a reduction in bond by a judge.
Whitesell, however, was able to post bond Tuesday, according to a jail spokesperson. He had been in the Cowley County Jail since July when he was arrested and extradited for fleeing to Colorado.
The defendant was being held on $10,000 bond and additional bond for unrelated charges for passing bad checks.
Smith said Whitesell’s attorney ? Tim Showalter ? indicated the defense may argue that Whitesell was acting in self defense.
Minor’s family told NewsCow that the notion Whitesell ? who is considerably bigger than Minor ? was scared of the alleged victim, is hard to fathom.
Though Whitesell has been scheduled to stand trial, plea negotiations and agreements could affect whether cases actually end up at trial.
