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Hyten to do no jail time following plea agreement

Wednesday, October 12, 2011
By JARED JERNAGAN Assistant Editor

BRAZIL -- A former Putnam County official will spend no time in jail for beating his wife in late May.

Kim Hyten, 43, Fillmore, who was officially fired as Putnam County Planner and Emergency Management Director last month, recently changed his plea to guilty to charges of strangulation and battery resulting in bodily injury.

Under the terms of the plea agreement with Clay County Prosecutor Lee Reberger, Hyten was given a two-year sentence -- a year for each charge -- with all of the time suspended. Instead of incarceration, Hyten will spend 200 days on electronic in-home detention and two years on probation.

Wife Karen Reeves-Hyten testified in favor of the plea agreement, saying she wished Clay Circuit Court Judge Joseph Trout to accept it.

Hyten originally faced four charges for the domestic incidents. He was charged with Class D felony counts of strangulation and criminal confinement and Class A misdemeanor counts of domestic battery and interference with a criminal investigation.

The agreement dropped the criminal confinement and interference charges and reduced the strangulation charge to a misdemeanor.

Clay County officials handled the case because both Hyten and his wife were Putnam County employees at the time of the crimes.

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  • SMH..........

    Sad to think that special treatment in Putnam Co. is so transparent.........

    -- Posted by cominatcha on Wed, Oct 12, 2011, at 7:43 AM

  • Nothing new here to comment on...same old story...

    -- Posted by GreencastleResident on Wed, Oct 12, 2011, at 8:08 AM

  • or maybe the story wasn't what everyone thought it to be to begin with uh? anyone can make accusations against people, but that doesn't mean it stands up to the scrutiny of a courtroom. maybe the lack of punishment reflects the lack of proof to some of the charges, and not a grand conspiracy. who knows what really happened?

    -- Posted by BORNINPUTCO on Wed, Oct 12, 2011, at 8:59 AM

  • BORNINPUTCO:

    You have alot of maybes in your comment.... MAYBE it was what everyone thought because....

    there was a 2 year sentence given- to be served on house arrest and probation... Kinda kills your theory huh! It goes to show that again a PUTNAM COUNTY EMPLOYEE gets a "Get out of jail free card"!

    -- Posted by purehonesty on Wed, Oct 12, 2011, at 9:13 AM

  • This article states Mr. Hyten was fired from his Putnam County positions last month. At what meeting was this action taken? Was this action reported in an article in B-G? If not, why not?

    The last time a Putnam County official was in trouble, the B-G repeated the entire story time after time after time with the latest part added onto the story at the end. Why not this time?

    -- Posted by Lookout on Wed, Oct 12, 2011, at 11:25 AM

  • He will do it again.

    -- Posted by Foxridge on Wed, Oct 12, 2011, at 12:16 PM

  • If he was 'let go' because of budget cuts then why did the Banner say he was fired??? Newspapers typically fact check. My bet is he was fired for being a hothead that beats on women.That reflects poorly on the county but then they do such a good job of burying crap like this that it really doesn't matter.

    -- Posted by citizenoftheworld on Wed, Oct 12, 2011, at 4:54 PM

  • If Kim didn't do anything and the charges were B.S. and there wasn't any proof then why in the world would he take a plea bargain? Would any innocent person admit guilt to a violent crime? I have no ties to either person involved but I can't stand when someone is alleged to do something, then takes a plea and then expects people to believe that there was no basis for the crimes and they just pled guilty so that it would all be over.

    -- Posted by WTFRUthinkin on Wed, Oct 12, 2011, at 4:55 PM

  • He was not let go do to downsizing, are you kidding me.He was let go because of his getting a paid leave. He is the perfect picture of the sweaty guy in a wife beater shirt. Don't you worry he is a drunk and I would have to say he will probably get nailed for a dui just like someone else the only DIFFERENCE is that these are state charges not federal charges, and I am sure the judge will run it all back on him. As for what people say about her. If she wanted to make it up she would not have tried to hide the marks. HERE IS YOUR SIGN. you dont think his ex left him because he was fluffy right.. some people are seriously dumb. There will be another chapter. He was a zoning person not the Sheriff of this county and yes he skated this time but, boy they will nail him if he messes up.

    -- Posted by Oh My Goodness on Wed, Oct 12, 2011, at 5:01 PM

  • so does that mean he gets to stay home 200 days on home detention and beat his wife everyday. sounds like the wife is in denial. once a beater always a beater.

    -- Posted by pukee on Wed, Oct 12, 2011, at 6:16 PM

  • I think domestic battery should be a felony with mandatory sentencing, to strangle someone is very serious. Most women whom are starngled do not live to tell it. I'm. In hopes that Kim leaves him, if she does not, with all the support battered women have out there these days, then the next time it happens she will have gotten excatly what she deserves for helping him get a plea bargin......why did sentencing not focus on counsiling for anger management.....? And if it does happen again, I believe that the judge should also be held responsble

    -- Posted by breynolds.ali@gmail.com on Wed, Oct 12, 2011, at 6:25 PM

  • I don't have a lot of sympathy for this guy. I don't know how he got off so easy. They should tie him up and let her beat the devil out of him.

    -- Posted by wrinklenose on Wed, Oct 12, 2011, at 6:35 PM

  • Some folks get the book thrown at them because of who they are not, while others get what appears to be a pass because of who they are. The $10 per day to be on monitoring can be a problem for someone out of work. People on probation can not be in posession of alcoholic beverages either. That includes even the occasional beer. You get caught you go to jail and are held there without bond until your court hearing. Sounds like the wife still loves her man and would rather be able to see him than have him locked up. If you don't like the rulings that judges hand down then make your vote count come re-election time.

    -- Posted by Vernie1 on Wed, Oct 12, 2011, at 8:00 PM

  • kim is the guy here who is on house arrest!! his ex wife has nothing to do with him!! he lives by himself or with his sons!! she had a police escort and removed all her things a week ago or so!! he wont be doing anything to her again!! good luck to all!!!

    -- Posted by badboy46120 on Thu, Oct 13, 2011, at 7:58 AM

  • seriously.

    -- Posted by cds1305 on Thu, Oct 13, 2011, at 8:08 AM

  • @ oh my goodness your an idiot. he was not getting paid leave. Dont believe a thing on here anyone. All these people are idiots. None of you know anything at all accept the person that said she got all of here stuff out of there you are correct. And thanks Banner for taking my True and accurate statements off of here. You guys are a joke!

    -- Posted by sampsonight on Thu, Oct 13, 2011, at 11:32 AM

  • No, it was not a paid leave. It was an unpaid leave with benefits so "he can help".He should not have even got that. Calling someone an idiot is not necessary.

    -- Posted by citizenoftheworld on Thu, Oct 13, 2011, at 12:58 PM

  • It was an unpaid leave with benefits so "he can help". Is pretty much paid leave I do believe. Case in point you leave your job and they would not continue you health benefits well after you have left your position.

    -- Posted by Oh My Goodness on Fri, Oct 14, 2011, at 7:43 AM

  • Should have said "so he can GET help" as in treatment..yeah I bet that helped. Anyway, if you check the Banner article from June 24, 2011 it states unpaid administrative leave with benefits...sorry for the typo.

    -- Posted by citizenoftheworld on Fri, Oct 14, 2011, at 11:58 AM

  • Kim will be ok as life goes on just like all of us when we have a major crisis in our lives. Hopefully he's learned a lesson and will benefit from it as time goes by....

    -- Posted by kubotafan on Fri, Oct 14, 2011, at 4:46 PM

  • charges of strangulation and battery resulting in bodily injury

    Wife Karen Reeves-Hyten testified in favor of the plea agreement, saying she wished Clay Circuit Court Judge Joseph Trout to accept it.

    If he really did the charges to you would you be in favor of a plea agreement? FISHY!!!!!!

    -- Posted by carebuttonbroke on Fri, Oct 14, 2011, at 8:50 PM
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