7-9-04 - A Grayson County jury convicted James Walter Hull, 57, of Sherman, of the felony offense of Sexual Assault this week after an attack last year.

Assistant Grayson County Attorney Jodi Brown presented evidence that in March of 2003, a 29 year old woman reported to a Midway Mall security guard that she had just been sexually assaulted, and that she had run and walked over one mile from the scene of the assault for help.

The woman reported that Hull, who was an acquaintance of her mother, had picked her up to take her to her mother’s home, but instead drove her to a rural field and assaulted her. The woman claimed that she was able to fight Hull off and get away, running through a barbed-wire fence, and finally reaching Midway Mall where she reported the incident.

Grayson County Sheriff’s Office Investigator David Sikes testified that Hull initially denied any sexual contact with the victim, but later maintained he engaged in consensual contact with her. At trial, James Hull testified in his own defense and maintained that the woman consented to the contact.

After two days of testimony, the jury deliberated approximately one hour before returning a verdict of guilty. Hull elected to be sentenced by 59th District Court Judge Rayburn “Rim” Nall. A sentencing date will be scheduled in the coming weeks after Hull undergoes a pre-sentence investigation by the Grayson County Probation Department. The charge is a second degree felony, punishable by 2 to 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

“We are pleased with the jury’s verdict,” said Assistant County Attorney Jodi Brown. “We have too many sexual assault cases, and if we can continue to have juries be tough on these cases, hopefully we can keep some of the cases like this from happening.”

Hull was defended by Sherman attorney Robert Ed Lee Richardson.