Summary Gail Bennett had led a life of hard choices. Raised on a Texas farm, she had spent her childhood taking care of her siblings. When she left home, she began a string of bad marriages. By 1990, she was filing for her third divorce. With one daughter grown, and a son living with her second ex-husband, Gail was at a crossroads in her life. That's when ex-husband number three, Tony, convinced her to come back to him. She did, and immediately regretted it. During a drunken rage, Tony brandished a rifle and threatened Gail. She pulled her pistol and shot him, wounding him. But that wouldn't be the worst part of the night. Sheriff Presley Lamar Pippin decided to let her go and even gave her a ride home. He offered to stand guard, in case Tony came back. Later that night, Pippin came into Gail's bedroom and forced himself on her. Fearing the Sheriff's power, and the pending charges in the shooting of her husband, Gail kept quiet about the rape. But when a grand jury decided not to indict Gail for shooting Tony, she went to the Austin Police about the rape. The case went before a grand jury, but Sheriff Pippin claimed the sex was consensual. Pippin wasn't indicted, and was soon re-elected. But Gail wasn't finished. She filed a civil suit, claiming the Sheriff had violated her civil rights. The federal judge didn't buy Sheriff Pippin's claim of consensual sex and admonished him for his abuse of police authority. The Sheriff and Archer County were ordered to pay $2 million in damages, though the award was reduced on appeal.
Directed : Unknown
Written : Unknown
Stars : Sharon Martin Jody Flader Andrew D. Erath Dustin Bolt
Genres : Crime Documentary
Release date : Nov 12, 2005
Countries of origin : United States
Language : English
Production companies : Jupiter Entertainment Oh! Oxygen
Summary Gail Bennett had led a life of hard choices. Raised on a Texas farm, she had spent her childhood taking care of her siblings. When she left home, she began a string of bad marriages. By 1990, she was filing for her third divorce. With one daughter grown, and a son living with her second ex-husband, Gail was at a crossroads in her life. That's when ex-husband number three, Tony, convinced her to come back to him. She did, and immediately regretted it. During a drunken rage, Tony brandished a rifle and threatened Gail. She pulled her pistol and shot him, wounding him. But that wouldn't be the worst part of the night. Sheriff Presley Lamar Pippin decided to let her go and even gave her a ride home. He offered to stand guard, in case Tony came back. Later that night, Pippin came into Gail's bedroom and forced himself on her. Fearing the Sheriff's power, and the pending charges in the shooting of her husband, Gail kept quiet about the rape. But when a grand jury decided not to indict Gail for shooting Tony, she went to the Austin Police about the rape. The case went before a grand jury, but Sheriff Pippin claimed the sex was consensual. Pippin wasn't indicted, and was soon re-elected. But Gail wasn't finished. She filed a civil suit, claiming the Sheriff had violated her civil rights. The federal judge didn't buy Sheriff Pippin's claim of consensual sex and admonished him for his abuse of police authority. The Sheriff and Archer County were ordered to pay $2 million in damages, though the award was reduced on appeal.
Genres : Crime Documentary
Release date : Nov 12, 2005
Countries of origin : United States
Language : English
Production companies : Jupiter Entertainment Oh! Oxygen
