In the case of State of West Virginia, Sgt. Kevin Williams vs. James Forrest Blankenship, 25-F-11 , the jury trial began Tuesday, October 21st, 2025. James Blankenship had been charged with three felonies: Malicious Assault, Domestic Assault and Felony in possession of a Firearm.
In his opening Statements, Prosecutor Michael Hicks laid out the events of February 25th, 2025 telling the jury that on that date on Big Root Road in Calhoun County James Forrest “Bub” Blankenship and Sharlet Christian lived in a trailer together for approximately three years as boyfriend and girlfriend. According to Ms. Christian, as the two of them were picking up trash and debris in the home James Blankenship became enraged and through a piece of glass at her. Sharlet Christian was setting on a bucket in the living room area of the home when she was struck with a broken mason jar and began bleeding. In a panic, Sharlet grabs her cat, and began walking to the hospital, later picked up by Mr. Blankenship. Once at the hospital, the Minnie Hamilton staff contacts Calhoun Control and the West Virginia State Police is called to investigate the incident. Sharlet is determined to serious to be treated by Minnie Hamilton Health System and a life flight is called in to transport her by helicopter to CAMC in Charleston.
Before the helicopter had time to arrive for transport, Sharlet was briefly interviewed by Sergeant Kevin Williams. Although she had told the nursing staff that she was inadvertently hit by the glass by James Blankenship, she recanted her story to Sgt. Williams telling him that Mr. Blankenship had intentionally thrown the glass at her, striking her in the face with such force that she had a brain bleed.
After placing James Blankenship under arrest, Sgt. Williams obtained a search warrant for the home where the incident occurred. Several pictures entered into evidence showed the home in a terrible state of disarray with the only furniture in the living room being a bed and the bucket for which Ms. Christian was setting when struck. In his search, Sgt. Williams discovered a 22 caliber long rifle beside the bed which was taken into evidence as well as the broken glass that had landed around the bucket and beside the wood stove where Ms. Christian had been setting.
James Forrest Blankenship was defended by Attorney John Balenovich who in his opening statement, told the jury that this is not a “Who Done It?” But rather “What was the Intent?” Balenovich further stated that the two were bagging recyclables and that Mr. Blankenship had warned Sharlet that he was “throwing stuff” and to be careful, but she walked into a piece of glass that he was throwing in a bag by the door.
The first witness called to the stand by the State was Sgt. Kevin Williams of the WV State Police. Sgt. Williams has been a WV State Police Officer for 18 years, having served two of those years in Calhoun County.
Sgt. Williams explained that he had interviewed Charlotte at the hospital before her transport, at which time she told him that “she and Blankenship were cleaning and he got upset with her, telling her he was going to teach some respect and then threw the glass at her. Williams said that not only was her face cut and bleeding it had swollen 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch.
Prosecutor Hicks asked the Sergeant if Ms. Christian was hesitant to speak to him? To which Williams responded “that she was initially afraid to come forth as is the case in most domestic violence situations; but she later told Sgt. Williams the series of events.
Following the departure of Ms. Christian Sgt. Williams placed James Blankenship into custody which was viewed on the body cam footage of the Sergeant. Following be given his Miranda Rights, Mr. Blankenship willingly spoke with the sergeant regarding the incident.
He told the officer that Sharlet had been having headaches and chest pains and that he had told her to go to the hospital. He described the incident with the glass as having happened when Sharlet was struck by the broken Mason Jar when he threw it hard at the bag to get it across the room and she had walked into it.
When Sergeant Williams asked him about the argument that he and Ms. Christian had, Blankenship stated that “it wasn’t an argument, but that he had told her that she wasn’t going to tell him to put the cat outside.” Throughout their conversation, Blankenship continued to deny that he had intentionally thrown the glass. He stated that for three years he had never laid a hand on Ms. Christian but told Sgt. Williams that “He could see where ‘this’ was going, he was going to jail.”
P.A. Hicks asked Sgt. Williams if he found anything corroborating Ms. Christians account of the event. Sgt. Williams stated that the photo evidence showed the pieces of broken glass near the wood stove as she had said.” A box of broken glass was entered into evidence for the State.
Also entered into evidence was an emptied 22 caliber long rifle found where the bed frame was along with two bullets tied to the gun. When found the gun had two rounds of ammunition inside.
Under cross examination by Attorney John Balenovich, the attorney questioned Sgt. Williams as to why the gun was not fingerprinted, why was dna testing not done, as well as asking why the officer didn’t have the gun tested for functionality. Attorney Balenovich questioned the protocol of writing a police report, the officers thoroughness and why he did not document that Sharlet was not initially forthcoming with it being an intentional act.
Sgt. Williams stated that the photo evidence did not back up Mr. Blankenship’s theory of the event.
Second to testify was victim Sharlet Christian. When asked to describe the events of February 25th, Ms. Christian told Prosecuting Attorney Hicks that “Bub” (Mr. Blankenship) was sitting on the bed and she was sitting on a bucket in the living room of their home. “He wigged out because I disrespected him,” she said. “It sounded like a gun shot went off when the glass hit my head.” She showed the prosecutor Mr. Blankenship’s method of throwing the glass, similar to that of a frisbee from a short distance. She stated that he was cussing and really mad. And then she seen the blood run. She left the home and started to walk, picking up her cat “Bootsy” on the way. Mr. Blankenship came later and picked her up in their car to take her to the hospital. Before they went to the hospital, Mr. Blankenship went to ParMar for cigarettes and gasoline.
At this time Ms. Christian began to feel nauseous on the stand and weeping. “He had me convinced it was an accident when he had the bowl and he threw it at my head, he wasn’t far from me,” she said breaking down.
The defendant, Mr. Blankenship became over taken by emotion, shouting out from the defense table “I’ll plead guilty to everything, I can’t stand to see her torn up like that, you’re going to make her have a nervous breakdown.”
The trial came to a stand still and the jury was released from the courtroom to determine the court’s next step.
P.A. Hicks told Mr. Blankenships. if that was the case, the state would accept his plea to everything. However the defense attorney wanted to speak to his client before any decision was made and the trial resumed.
Sharlet’s testimony continued as she told the Prosecutor that Mr. Blankenships had convinced her if she told the truth, he would go to jail. She said that she was terrified because she didn’t know what he might do to my cat to her cat. Mr. Hicks questioned her on the extent of her injuries to which she answered she had a brain bleed and a large bruise cover the upper part of her arm as well as other bruises. She was in CAMC Hospital for two days and now has seizures as a result of the event. In tears she told the Prosecutor that when the medical staff told her she had a blunt force trauma to the head, that it was the way her dad had died, and she had had enough, “So I told the truth,” she said. “They told me that I was lucky that I made it out of the hospital.”
Prosecutor Hicks stated that her story has always remained the same since he had began speaking to her in February of 2025.
Under cross examination of the victim, Attorney Balenovich questioned what Sharlet and Mr. Blankenship were doing that day and if had taken her to the hospital. None of Ms. Christian’s story changed.
The final witness of the state was Dr. Cameron Duba who testified as to the condition of Ms. Christian and the circumstance of the day. Dr. Duba who was the emergency room physician that day testified that “The injury could cause her to have rapid decline and required transport from Minnie Hamilton Health System to a larger facility. She had an external laceration and from her CT scan she showed a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) which is a serious medical emergency caused by bleeding into the space between the brain and the skull’s inner membrane. Ms. Christians medical records were entered into evidence.
Under cross examination of Dr. Duba, Attorney Balenovich asked questions regarding the separate medical records of different facilities, Following this, the State of WV rested their case and the trial continued on day two.
At the beginning of the trial a Motion was filed by defense attorney Balenovich based on the circumstances of the trial for a “directed” verdict. A directed verdict is a ruling by a trial judge, often made upon a motion from a party, to end a case by instructing the jury to return a specific verdict because there is no legally sufficient basis for a reasonable jury to find otherwise. It is granted when one party’s evidence is so insufficient that no reasonable jury could rule in its favor, even if it views the evidence in the light most favorable to that party. This can result in a judgment for the moving party, often the defendant, without the jury needing to deliberate.
The motion was denied and Mr. Blankenship was called to the witness stand having decided to testify on his own behalf forgoing his 5th amendment right.
“Did you intentionally throw anything at Miss Christian,” Attorney Balenovich question his client.
“No sir,” Mr. Blankenship stated, “She tried to get me to let out the cat, but I told her I was cleaning. I was throwing broken glass and I was going to take it to the recycling center.” He kept to his story that he was throwing things away when the victim walked into the glass. Afterward the incident he stated that he “rushed her” to the emergency room where he let her out and stayed in the car to smoke a cigarette.
Cross examinations by P.A. Hicks brought more questions of their actions that lead to the throwing of the glass. Hicks questioned how a “tossed” piece of glass could cause such severe damage to Ms. Christian. Mr. Blankenship’s story stayed the same. “You testified that you rushed her to the hospital but we had heard that it was 30 minutes to an hour” the Prosecutor asked. Mr. Blankenship explained that his car had been stuck in the mud and it took a while to get to Ms. Christian. The Blankenship’s lived almost ten miles from the hospital. More questions came of the anger toward Ms. Christian and more denial by Mr. Blankenship. He denied telling Sharlet that she needed to lie to keep him out of jail to which it said “I told her it didn’t matter I was going to jail because that’s how Calhoun works.”
Prosecutor Hicks asked “You were worried about going to jail?” To which Blankenship responded “I wasn’t worried, I knew. It was coming.
The Defense rested their case and the jury was excused again while closing arguments were prepared.
After reaffirming the incident actions, Hicks asked the jury to “use common sense about the officers decision to not have the gun tested for forensic evidence or functionality.” He also ask them to consider the amount of force he used at a close proximity with the glas and his comment about refusing to be disrespected for the last three years.
Balenovich’s closing arguments, were much the same as the trial. Telling the jury it was not a question of who did it, but rather why did it happen? The state is charged with proving Mr. Blankenship’s intent to kill maim and disable. They did not prove it” Mr. Balenovich said. “It’s awful what happened to Sharlet, it broke my heart yesterday when Scarlett’s was testifying” but after defining reasonable doubt he asked the jury to consider that doubt and judge accordingly.
Judge Ashley had explained reasonable doubt to the jury like that of a person coming in from the outside with a wet umbrella. Even if you couldn’t see outside, you would assume it was raining. That would clear up your doubt, and that the evidence should be considered as such. Was their evidence to prove what was said?
Attorney Balenovich stated that What he loves about Calhoun county is the jurors don’t leave their common sense outside. He told them that the Police investigation lacked integrity and that the testimony of Sharlet may have been in error because of her head injury. He accused the Trooper of having taken away the liberty of someone in the investigation. At which time Sgt. Williams looked confused as to the direction the trial was going. It lead to his failure to fingerprint and take DNA testing for which Sgt. Williams did not deem necessary. He questioned Sharlet’s testimony and told the jury to recall how Mr. Blankenship testified, looking them in the eye and saying he did not throw the glass on purpose. “I don’t think she’s (Sharlet’s) lying i think she doesn’t have a full memory,” the attorney said. If you weigh the credibility of the witnesses against the evidence, a reasonable doubt is there.
The Jury was excused at 11:54 a.m. on Wednesday, October 22nd, 2025 and was back in the court room at 12:30 p.m. with a verdict of guilty on all three counts.
Count 1 malicious assault – guilty
Count 2 illegal possession of firearm – guilty
Count 3 domestic battery – guilty
Sentencing will come at a later time.
James Forrest Blankenship was returned to the WV Central Regional Jail where he will remain through sentencing.
I’ll never be like him