According to reports from the Taylor County Sheriff's Office, Carter, who recently served as a deputy with the Howard County Sheriff's Office, was arrested June 26, 1973, and charged with assault with intent to commit rape in the city of Abilene.

According to the arrest report filed by Arthur Blakery, the arresting officer, a report of “a man beating on a woman” was received and the officer was dispatched to the residence, where he found a 16-year-old girl running from Carter.

“A strong odor of alcoholic beverage was about his (Carter's) person and he was unsteady on his feet,” Blakery wrote in his report, which is currently on file with the Taylor County Sheriff's Department. “The defendant was drunk when he was arrested and was drunk when booked.”

The charge was later dropped to misdemeanor assault, according to court records. Carter received a trial by jury in Taylor County Court and was found guilty of misdemeanor assault. He was sentenced to two years probation, required to pay a fine of $960 and required to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings twice a week and meetings with the Abilene Council on Alcoholism once a month.

Carter said he successfully completed his probation and alcohol-related classes and meetings.

“At that time, just a touch could be considered aggravated assault,” said Carter. “They had a prosecutor at the time — Billy John Edwards — who was trying to build his name. Today, this case would never have gone to trial. It would have been pleaded out and everyone would go their merry way. Someone had to dig pretty hard to go back 35 years. This is on all of my employment applications, this assault. I was arrested for it.

“I actually completed three years of Alcoholics Anonymous and learned that, at that time, I didn't have as much of an alcohol problem as I had a living problem, which manifested in drinking. The statement (from the arresting officer) is true. I know me, and I used to really hate authority. My integrity really won't let me lie. If you accuse me of something I did, I'll tell you straight out I did it. I guess we all have things we did in our lifetime that we wouldn't do them the same way again, and this is obviously one of them.”

As for the situation surrounding his arrest so many years ago, Carter said the details are pretty vague.

“Basically, it was a party that turned into kind of a brawl,” said Carter. “The little girl was in the wrong place, that sort of thing. It was in the middle of the day. Most of this whole day was vague.”

As for bid for the sheriff's office, Carter said he won't back down.

“I figure they (the opposition) must be grasping at straws if they have to go 35 years back,” said Carter.

Carter will face off against Republican candidate Stan Parker in the November contest.

Parker, a former Big Spring Police Department lieutenant, had his employment with the BSPD terminated in 2004 after an altercation at the Greyhound Bus Station lead to his arrest on a charge of driving while intoxicated.

Contact Staff Writer Thomas Jenkins at 263-7331 ext. 232 or by e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it