A Floyd County jury found Dustin Paul Messex not guilty of aggravated assault and battery on Thursday evening after a three-day trial about an alleged incident on December 27, 2022 in Rome.
Messex’s attorney, Luke Martin of Bratcher Martin, LLP, said he and his client are grateful for the jury’s verdict. “Dustin served over 300 days in jail waiting for his opportunity to tell his side of the story: the truth.”
Messex testified in his defense and admitted to damaging a door in his home but denied ever laying hands on the alleged victim. Ultimately, the jury disagreed with the State’s claims and found Messex guilty of only simple assault.
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Dustin Paul Messex, 26 of Rome, was arrested this week after reports said he nearly killed a woman during an attack at a home on Blacks Bluff Road back on December 27, 2022.
Reports said that Messex grabbed the victim by the throat and began to choke her. Reports said that Messex forced the woman over a railing of an elevated porch while strangling her.
He is then accused of slamming a door on the victim’s arm, resulting in it breaking.
Messex is charged with aggravated assault.
