Warrant issued for former House Speaker Rod Jetton
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Warrant issued for former House Speaker Rod Jetton

Date: December 7, 2009
By: Cheston McGuire
State Capitol Bureau

JEFFERSON CITY - Former House Speaker Rod Jetton was issued an arrest warrant on Monday for second-degree felony assault.

With a kiss and the parting words of "You should have said green balloons," Jetton exited the residence of a woman accusing him of hitting and choking her, according to a complaint cited in the Sikeston Police Department probable cause affidavit.

In the statement, the woman claims that Jetton came to her home on Nov. 15 after the two discussed sexual intercourse, with he and the victim having "agreed on a safe word of 'green balloons' to use as a stop word during intercourse." She said that when Jetton came he brought two bottles of wine for them.

At one point, she said that Jetton went to the kitchen out of sight and poured her a glass of wine. While watching football with Jetton the victim said she finished her glass and began to lose consciousness.

The victim said that she remembers at one point during the night that Jetton was "hitting her on the face very hard," and later she remembers waking up with Jetton choking her. After drifting in and out of consciousness she also remembers waking up with Jetton having sex with her.

"She did not know what happened with her memory because she had been drunk before but never had the blank spots in her memory," the probable cause statement said.

The statement said that photographs of the bruises were taken the next day and that the victim  said she and Jetton had never dated or had a prior relationship.

Jetton had a recent divorce and runs a political consulting business in Jefferson City with several high profile clients including Majority Floor Leader Steven Tilley and Majority Whip Brian Nieves. Tilley and Rep. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, two of the legislators that have hired Jetton's firm, declined comment and said they were not making a decision whether to keep Jetton on. Jetton was a representative from 2001-09.

Jetton was seen in Jefferson City just hours before the news of arrest warrant was announced on Monday. A call to his cell phone was not immediately returned.

Eric Brooks, vice president of Rod Jetton & Associates, said he did not know Jetton's whereabouts or how to reach him. 

The charge, which is a class C felony, carries a punishment of up to seven years in prison and a fine not to exceed $5,000.


The following is the complete text -- removing the victim's name and address -- of the probable cause affidavit as filed by Detective Bethany McDermott of the Sikeston Police Department:

On November 17, 2009 PSO Washburn received a report from [the complainant] about an assault that occurred through the night of November 15, 2009 and into the morning of November 16, 2009. [The complainant] reported that Mr. Jetton came to her residence around 2100 hours on November 15, 2009. [The complainant] said that she and Mr. Jetton discussed having intercourse earlier that day over the phone. [The complainant] said she and Mr. Jetton had never dated before and had never been in a relationship together. Mr. Jetton entered the residence at ... with 2 bottles of wine. Mr. Jetton went into the kitchen and poured [the complainant] a glass of wine. [The complainant] said she did not see him pour the wine because she did not follow him into the kitchen, but he returned to the living room and handed her a glass of wine. [The complainant] remembers watching a football game and said once she finished the glass of wine, she began "fading" in and out and remembered losing consciousness several times during the evening. Mr. Jetton and [the complainant] agreed on a safe word of "Green balloons" to use as a stop word during intercourse. [The complainant] recalls Mr. Jetton hitting her on the face very hard. [The complainant] said she then remembers waking up; lying on the floor and Mr. Jetton was choking her. [The complainant] then recalls waking up and Mr. Jetton was behind her having intercourse in the bedroom. [The complainant] said she did not know what happened with her memory because she had been drunk before but had never had the blank spots in her memory. [The complainant] said Mr. Jetton stayed the night with her and when he woke up he gave her a kiss and said, "You should have said green balloons." Mr. Jetton left [the complainant's] residence and had not returned. [The complainant] remembers being very sore. PSO Washburn reported seeing bruises on the left side of [the complainant's], outside of both thighs, and on [the complainan's) breast and just above it. Photographs of the bruises were taken. I also observed the bruises to [the complainant] on November 18, 2009 and took more photographs on that day.