Halloween beating suspect found guilty of lesser charge

A Box Elder resident on trial for felony assault charges left the Hill County Courthouse a free man Tuesday after a jury convicted him of a misdemeanor for his role in a Halloween assault on his cousin.

The 12-person jury in District Court found 36-year-old Curtis Stanley not guilty of aggravated assault and assault with a weapon by accountability, but convicted him of misdemeanor assault of Sammy St. Marks.

"I think the lesser charge should have been dropped," Stanley said before leaving the courthouse. But, "I'm just glad that I'm out of jail."

Because Stanley had been incarcerated in the Hi...