Amy Word, a member of the Evansville school board, has taken a stand against allegations that she negligently allowed drugs to be sold at her Franklin Street bar. Word, who has been on a temporary leave of absence from her position at the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation board of trustees for nearly a year, is facing a Level 6 felony charge of maintaining a common nuisance. She has pled not guilty and her trial is scheduled for March 4, 2024.

Word’s defense strategy, based on portions of court documents and defense transcripts, has been vigorous and multifaceted. With the support of her attorney, Bob Canada, she has challenged the evidence against her and has gone public with her rebuttal. The trial, set to take place outside Vanderburgh County, has gained significant attention due to the high-profile nature of the case and the involvement of local law enforcement.

One of the central elements of Word’s defense is her challenge to the evidence presented in her arrest affidavit. The affidavit, authored by Detective Matthew Knight of the Evansville Police Department (EPD), relies heavily on confidential informants and cites a recorded phone call between Word and a Vanderburgh County jail inmate, Jourdan Dabbs. Knight’s affidavit claims that Dabbs warned Word about items in a safe, to which Word allegedly responded using incriminating language.

However, Word’s defense team has provided an audio file of the phone call, along with a transcript, to dispute the claim that Word used incriminating language. According to Canada, the audio evidence contradicts the portrayal in the affidavit, adding a layer of doubt to the case against Word.

Furthermore, Word’s defense has brought to light an alleged embezzlement scheme by a former Lamasco Bar & Grill manager, who reportedly stole over $30,000 from the business. This alleged theft has been cited as a potential motive for Word’s emotional response in the phone call with Dabbs. The defense argues that Word’s frustration stemmed from the discovery of the embezzlement, not from any involvement in drug-related activities.

Additionally, Word’s defense has raised concerns about the credibility of the confidential informants cited in the case. Canada has questioned the accuracy and thoroughness of the investigation, asserting that the EPD turned the suspected embezzler into a key witness against Word instead of conducting a proper investigation.

The use of encrypted messaging applications has also become a point of contention. Knight’s affidavit claimed that Word used an “encrypted phone application” to communicate with Demario Holman, a man accused of drug-related activities at Lamasco Bar & Grill. Word’s defense team has argued that the encrypted messaging application in question is WhatsApp, a widely used messaging platform with encryption features comparable to other mainstream messaging apps.

Word’s public defense has included social media posts addressing the allegations, media coverage, and the investigation process. She has accused local news media and law enforcement of misconstruing evidence and unfairly associating her with drug-related activities at her bar.

This story originally appeared in the Evansville Courier & Press by Houston Harwood and Thomas Langhorne on July 27th. Portions of this article were generated using artificial intelligence. 

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