PARIS — An Oxford County jury has acquitted a Canton man of sexually assaulting a woman at his home in 2015.
Augustus Buck, 44, was found not guilty of gross sexual assault and unlawful sexual touching, both felonies. A jury of seven men and three women heard testimony Wednesday and Thursday and announced its verdict Friday.
Jeffrey Wilson, who represented Buck with attorney Maurice Porter, said the trial included testimony from two police officers involved with the investigation.
“The jury deliberated all throughout Thursday afternoon and came back Friday morning to continue deliberating,” Wilson said. At one point, Wilson said, the jurors sent a note to Judge Lance Walker that they were having a difficult time reaching a unanimous verdict.
“The judge asked the jury to go back and try again one more time,” Wilson said. “After a couple hours, they came back with a not guilty verdict.”
Buck was arrested following an incident at his home in the Canton Point Trailer Park at 685 Canton Point Road on Nov. 28, 2015, according to police.
Wilson said it was a “hard-fought battle on both sides,” lauding the state and the District Attorney’s Office for “putting on a great case.”
“However, given the series of issues that popped up throughout the trial, the state was unable to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt,” Wilson said. “In this particular case, justice was served.”
He praised the jury for “doing a fantastic job listening to the case that the state put forward, listening to our defense, and taking their time in considering all of the details before making a decision. That is the nature of the legal system.”
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