NEWS
$295 million verdict returned in child sexual abuse case
A Montague County civil jury has returned a $295 million verdict in favor of Hailey Dickerson, now 20, who was sexually abused as a child by Bridgeport resident Max Hahn IV while living on his ranch on Bugscuffle Road outside Bowie.
The verdict is one of the largest in of its kind ever awarded in the United States and believed to be the second largest single-plaintiff sexual abuse verdict ever awarded in the Unite States.
On Oct. 31 the jury, after hearing evidence in a week-long trial, unanimously found Hahn committed assault, sexual assault, aggravated sexual assault and injury to a child against Dickerson when she was between 8 and 10 years of age.
At the time, Hahn was dating Hailey’s mother, who lived on Hahn’s ranch with her four children.
Dickerson disclosed the abuse to her mother and later to a sexual assault nurse examiner and a trained forensic interviewer at a child advocacy center. Hahn denied the allegations, and his 2018 criminal trial ended in a mistrial due to a hung jury.
Hahn was later re-indicted and pleaded no contest to the charge of injury to a child, receiving a probated sentence.
Dickerson’s attorney, Brian Butcher of the Noteboom Law Firm in Fort Worth, said the evidence of guilt was overwhelming.
“The details Hailey recounted as a tiny and terrified child remained consistent across time and independent evaluations,” Butcher said.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
A crew from Scarborough Engineering was working on control termination wiring in the control room of the Bowie Substation last week. They were integrating additional equipment including the new transformer. Once everything is connected it will go through a testing phase. The transformer project has been stalled during the past year awaiting the arrival of various parts. (News photo by Barbara Green
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
After more than a year of turmoil and upheaval it appears the Amon Carter Lake Water Supply Corporation is back on its feet with a slate of new board members and plans to review by-laws and operations.
Last August all the board members resigned in the wake of a lawsuit by a resident who could not obtain water for a small housing development despite being in the district. The property owner also accused the board of not following open meetings or open records laws, or its own by-laws.
After the board resigned a receivership was requested from the court and was named in December 2025. The receiver or temporary manager was Nocona attorney Zach Renfro, who was directed by the court to seek out possible directors to rehabilitate the association and assure it meets the obligation of continuing to provide water to more than 300 members.
The corporation board conducted its first general membership meeting on March 27 where a state of the corporation was given and new directors
named. They are Kevin McShan, president; Josh Swint, vice president; Carla Swofford, secretary; Wesley Kelly, treasurer; Zach Gunter, Rob Hankins and Chase Thomas, all directors.
Read the full story in your Thursday Bowie News.
The Bowie City Council meeting scheduled for April 28 was canceled due to the lack of a quorum.
Councilors Boyd Hulstine, Stephanie Post and Brent Shaw were present along with Mayor Gaylynn Burris, Four council members are required. Laramie Truax, Laura Sproles and TJay McEwen were absent. The agenda items were expected to be placed on the next agenda of business for the council.
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