March 9, 2016 – Hunter James Dixon, 21, will serve 40 years without possibility of parole according to a plea agreement between Dixon and the District Attorney’s office.
Hunter James Dixon,
Wednesday morning in Eighth Judicial District Court the prosecution played a video of Hunter James Dixon’s interview with Hopkins County Sheriff’s Criminal Investigators. Investigator Dennis Findley was on the witness stand. Having begun the day’s court activities at 8:42 a.m., Judge Eddie Northcutt called for a recess exactly one hour and 30 minutes into the testimony. During the break, Dixon decided to change his plea from not guilty to guilty.
Judge Northcutt stated to the jury Wednesday afternoon that he does not usually receive a plea agreement when the trial has begun but counts this as a unique situation. Northcutt stated that the agreement reach would be 40 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice with no opportunity of parole based on the age of the children and the fact that it was continuous sexual assault of a minor under 14. This First Degree Felony comes with a greater penalty due to changes in the law regarding the fact that the act was continuous. No restitution, no court cost or fine was assessed in the punishment.
In speaking to the jury before thanking them for their service and dismissing them, Northcutt pointed out that Dixon was 20-years, 9-months, and 2-days old when he walked into jail and would 60-years, 9-months, and 2-days old before leaving prison.
Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Clay Harrison presented the jury the video of the Child Protective Services Forensic interview with the children who made an outcry that led to the arrest, indictment, and trial of Dixon.
Monday afternoon, Harrison had called as witnesses those whom he called key relationships to Dixon that were involved in the case. Harrison had diagrammed for the jury the relationships of Dixon to his sister, his parents, to the father of the children who made the outcry, and others.
