Judge Who Defended Statutory Rapist Later Officiated His Marriage to Victim; Wife Helped Vacate Plea

A federal court case reveals an extraordinary sequence of events in Pemiscot County, Missouri. In 2009, William Carter, then a private attorney, negotiated a plea agreement for Stewart, who pleaded guilty to statutory rape of a 13-year-old when he was 17. The judgment imposed a suspended sentence and probation, but later a lifetime GPS supervision condition was added. Stewart completed probation in 2013. Seven years after the offense, Stewart married the victim, and Judge Carter—now a judge—officiated the wedding. In 2022, Stewart was charged with violating lifetime supervision. Judge Carter presided over the case for eight months before it was transferred. Stewart then contacted Judge Carter's wife, Kimberly Carter, who entered as his attorney and filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea, arguing manifest injustice due to ineffective assistance from her husband. In July 2023, Judge Keith Currie granted the motion, vacating Stewart's conviction and removing all registration and supervision requirements. Stewart now sues the county for conspiracy over the plea terms.