A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction of former Barren County Sheriff Chris Eaton on two counts of witness tampering.
Eaton was convicted in 2013 sentenced to 18 months in prison following his trial on civil rights violations.
A federal jury acquitted two co-defendants on all charges. The law enforcement officers were tried for allegedly beating suspect Billy Stinnnett in February 2010 and engaging in a cover-up. Jurors found Eaton guilty of directing two deputies to write false incident reports for the FBI.
The U. S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals heard Eaton’s appeal in June 2014 and issued a ruling Monday upholding the conviction.