Two bound over to Pickens County Grand Jury
PICKENS COUNTY, Ala. (WCBI) – Two of the five teachers who have been charged with sex crimes in Pickens County went before a judge in Carrollton Tuesday.
Winston Bishop and Roderick Granger have been bound over to the Pickens County Grand Jury.
Pickens County District Attorney Andy Hamlin says in his career, first working as an Assistant District Attorney under Chris McCool and serving as the District Attorney, he’s never seen a case such as this one.
Tuesday, Winston Bishop and Rodrick Granger, the first of five suspects accused of sex crimes against children at Aliceville High School, had their preliminary hearing in Carrollton.
Judge Lance Bailey bound them over to the action of a Pickens County Grand Jury.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a situation where we had multiple teachers engaging in this type of behavior at one singular school,” Hamlin said. “Its very troubling, its very graphic and I think that once you sit down and you look at the evidence as with any case and especially cases involving children and involving children where the state alleges that crimes have been perpetrated against teachers, which the public entrust their children you realize the seriousness of it and the need to be diligent and see it through to make sure justice is served.”
When asked if he thought this was some sort of crime ring, Hamlin says no.
“I haven’t seen any evidence that it was a concerted effort on behalf of those who have been charged. I haven’t seen a factual or evidentiary nexus that will indicate to me that it was some type of ring, no”.
He says Antavious Belgrave, Caminion Gray, and Lakeitha Wilkins will have their preliminary hearings in the coming months.
“It has been rescheduled for later on in the summer. At that time, that state will be prepared to present evidence in those cases and we anticipate that the court would be satisfied, that the burden has been met by the state and we anticipate sending those to grand jury early fall.”
“That’s been continued out. It is my understanding that she posted bond. The bond was not lowered in that particular case. She had the same bond and it was posted so she’s currently not incarcerated but her preliminary hearing is set I think two months out,” Hamlin says.
Bishop, Granger, Belgrave and Gray all remain in the Pickens County Jail.
