Published: November 05, 2009 12:18 am      

Man pleads not guilty to second family violence charge

A Hunt County man has pleaded not guilty to his second family violence charge.

James Bryan Compton, 31, of West Tawakoni was arraigned Wednesday during a hearing in the 354th District Court.

Judge Richard A. Beacom accepted the plea and scheduled a tentative trial date on April 12, 2010.

Compton was indicted by the Hunt County grand jury last month for assault causing bodily injury against a family member-second or more. Compton was alleged in the indictment to have shoved, hit, choked and kicked a female family member and also to have pulled their hair on Oct. 2, 2008, after previously being convicted of the offense in 2007.

The charge is a third degree felony, punishable by a maximum sentence upon conviction of from two to 10 years in prison and an optional fine of up to $10,000.

It is Compton’s second felony charge in as many months. He was sentenced to six months in state jail in October after pleading guilty to stealing metal from a West Tawakoni convenience store. Compton was observed by a police officer ripping an aluminum conduit from the roof of Scottie’s Convenience Store on the night of Sept. 25.