Trina Dawn Vinson pleaded guilty to, and Billie Joe Taylor and Ronald Lee Harris were found guilty of, assault and battery in Union Municipal Court on Thursday morning. All three were sentenced by Judge Wade Hampton to pay a fine of $544 or spend 30 days in jail. Vinson was present for Thursday’s hearing but Taylor and Harris failed to show and were tried in absentia and bench warrants were issued for their arrest.
Vinson, 117 Victory Lane, Union; Taylor, 5004 Highway 101 North, Gray Court; and Harris, also of 5004 Highway 101 North, Gray Court, were among four people arrested and charged in the March 2008 attack on WSPA-TV reporter Charmayne Brown and cameraman Ti Barnes.
Brown and Barnes were covering a story about Vinson’s son, Shane Howell, being charged with murder in the death of Tommy Howell, her father and his grandfather, when the attack occurred. Taylor is Shane Howell’s aunt.
Shane Howell pleaded guilty in September 2008 to manslaughter in the death of his grandfather and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Also charged in the attack on Brown and Barnes was Vinson’s daughter, Tousha Michelle Smith, also of 117 Victory Lane. Smith avoided trial by entering a pretrial intervention program. If she succesfully completes the program her record will be wiped clean.
The incident report states the three women pulled Brown’s hair and kicked and hit her. Barnes was kicked and pushed by Smith and pushed by Harris.
Initially, only Vinson, Harris and Taylor were arrested. The attack was filmed by another news crew and a review of the footage led to police arresting Harris.
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