Sentence delayed to Dec. 13

GONZALES — Rashad Rudolph, who faces assault charges in connection with an attack that resulted in the shooting death of a Gonzales man in October 2012, received a new sentence hearing date of Dec. 13 during proceedings before Judge W.C. Kirkendall’s 2nd 25th Judicial District Court Friday.

Rudolph, 22, of New Orleans, La., will once again appear in court for sentencing pending judicial review of the results of a pre-sentencing investigation ordered three months ago. The PSI will help Kirkendall decide whether or not to accept a plea bargain offered by prosecutor Keri Miller with the County Attorney’s office.

The plea bargain includes seven years’ deferred adjudication, a waving of Rudolph’s tampering with evidence charge and a $1,000 fine with court costs. In exchange, Rudolph entered a plea of guilty.

Several others were involved in the attack and face various charges including murder.

The incident occurred Oct. 7, 2012, in the 1400 block of Kleine Street during the annual Come and Take It weekend. The shooting resulted in the death of Frederick Lamon Smith, 39, of Gonzales and Taylon Edow Porter, 23, of San Marcos. Two others at the scene – Tony Anthony Hernandez, 24, and Jasmine Lampkin, 24, both of Gonzales – survived gunshot wounds sustained in the altercation.

Rudolph currently faces three charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon as well as tampering with physical evidence.

If Kirkendall refuses the plea bargain, Rudolph could face a second-degree felony conviction with a punishment of two to 10 years in state prison and a $10,000 fine.

Also during Friday’s proceedings, John Raymond Williams, the former seventh-grade science teacher charged with possession or promotion of child pornography (30 counts), received a court reset date of Jan.10, 2014.

On May 15, investigators with the Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Unit (CCU) executed a search warrant at a residence on St. Paul Street in Gonzales. Later in the day, investigators arrested Williams, 52, after a daylong search conducted at his residence.

Roger Dale Gonzales, 19, received a trial reset date of Jan. 21, 2014. Gonzales is one of three people charged with aggravated assault in a Dec. 29, 2012 brawl at the Silver Star Saloon in Gonzales. The altercation resulted in Kenny Rodgers, then co-owner of the Silver Star, being brutally beaten and then airlifted to a San Antonio hospital.