Accused dealer said he sold cocaine at Lamasco with Word's knowledge

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Judge David Kiely, flanked by ornate wood paneling in a historic but mostly empty Sullivan County courthouse, oversaw the first day of Evansville school board member Amy Word's felony criminal trial, a proceeding that has been years in the making.

Word, 48, stands accused of maintaining a common nuisance, a low-level felony charge that is often levied against persons who own property associated with illegal activity. In Word's case, prosecutors allege a Franklin Street establishment she previously owned, Lamasco Bar & Grill, became a hub for cocaine dealing and use in 2022.

Just after 11 a.m., Kiely spoke to the eight Sullivan County residents who had been picked to sit as jurors - or alternate jurors - in Word's case, telling the seven men and one woman they were, "The exclusive judges of the evidence."

Word pleaded not guilty after her 2022 arrest and says she is innocent of the charge filed against her. Word has claimed that she had no involvement in alleged drug activity at Lamasco.

Since Word's arrest, she has taken a leave of absence from her District 3 school board seat.

Jurors on Wednesday heard testimony that contradicted Word's claims that she knew little about a burgeoning drug scene at the bar she owned and operated, though Word's private defense attorney, Bob Canada, attempted to poke holes in the accuracy of that testimony when he cross-examined state witnesses.

"Evidence must overcome any reasonable doubt as to [Word's] guilt," Kiely told jurors Wednesday. "The proof must be so convincing that you can act on it in this matter of high importance."

Trial Preview: What to know about Evansville school board member's felony case ahead of trial

Word appeared to be in good spirits Wednesday morning when she arrived at the Sullivan County Courthouse, an ornate structure that is hosting the trial due to extensive media coverage of Word's case in Evansville.

Canada spoke to the Courier & Press about Word's case last year and before her trial, claiming that allegations made in sworn police documents featured inaccuracies, half-truths and assertions attributed to "confidential informants" that Canada claims have a motive to lie.

But the first day of Word's trial saw Vanderburgh County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney James Doyle come out swinging when he called Demario Montez Holman, an accused cocaine dealer, as the state's first witness.

Holman links Word to cocaine use in sworn testimony

Holman, 37, has been described by prosecutors as the primary cocaine supplier at Franklin Street bars and at Lamasco in 2022. At the state's request, Holman was granted a limited form of immunity to testify against Word, and he did so Wednesday.

“Did you ever sell cocaine to Amy Word anywhere on Lamasco property?” Doyle asked.“Yes,” Holman replied, stating that he distributed the cocaine in an area of the bar that lacked surveillance camera coverage, namely the bar's bathrooms.

“How many times did you sell cocaine to Amy Word in those bathrooms?” Doyle replied,

“A lot," Holman said calmly, as he sat in a witness box directly in front of the jury. Holman also testified under oath that he witnessed the school board member using cocaine and that he would occasionally slip Word a gram or so of the drug as a courtesy.

Holman testified that when dealing directly with Word, he often gave her cocaine for free.

“I’ve given her stuff directly,” Holman said, adding that he didn’t charge Word a fee and that he employed a similar practice with Lamasco Bar & Grille employees. “Say I forgot to pay a tab at the bar or something, maybe I’d slip [a bartender] something.”

“And you did that for Amy as well?” Doyle asked.

"Yes," Holman answered.

Holman said his connection to the “inner workings of the bar” and his relationship with Word left him feeling “comfortable” that he could sell drugs there. Court records state that a May jury trial in Holman’s felony narcotics case was canceled.

Canada sought to discredit Holman as a witness, inquiring in front of jurors about Holman's pending felony case and his rationale for testifying against Word. Canada told the Courier & Press he deposed Holman ahead of Word's trial and asked him about his motives for testifying.

“Do you recall me asking you, 'Did you tell [a man] that you would get 19 years unless you testified against Amy?” Canada asked Holman at trial.“No,” Holman said, later clarifying that he was hesitant to make definitive statements during a deposition with Word's attorney and that he did not want to “spout out” an inaccurate statement to Canada's questions.

"Did you tell [a man] that if you did not testify against Amy, ‘You would miss your son’s entire life?” Canada asked Holman during a cross-examination.

“I don’t recall telling him that,” Holman said of his remarks as they were recorded during the deposition. But on Wednesday, at trial, Holman vehemently denied ever telling anyone that he hoped to receive a lenient sentence in exchange for testifying against Word, or that he was under any pressure to act as a state witness.

During the previous deposition, according to comments Canada made at trial, Holman said he had "no choice" but to testify against Word.

Regardless, Holman claimed the statements he made at trial regarding Word were true and that he was not testifying in the hope that he could receive a lenient sentence in his ongoing narcotics dealing case.

Lead investigator, attorney, says Word trial could last through Friday

Word's legal counsel quickly moved to have her case tried outside of Evansville after her arrest, given extensive news media coverage denoting that an elected official had been criminally charged. Word included a Courier & Press article covering her arrest as an exhibit in support of a change-of-venue filing.

While the case could feature more than 20 witnesses and is being held in Sullivan County, prosecutors and Word's defense team believe the trial could wrap up within the week.

"I feel positive about today," Canada said after the proceedings were adjourned for the day. "There's still a lot of trial to go, and hopefully [the jury] will come to the right conclusion... I think it will be done by Friday."

Doyle agreed, telling the Courier & Press that the state expected to be able to present its case within the week.

Houston can be contacted at houston.harwood@courierpress.com

This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Accused dealer said he sold cocaine at Lamasco with Word's knowledge