Clawson’s case was forwarded directly to the Grand Jury last Tuesday during the regular district court hearing.
Then the panel will decide if there is enough evidence against the man, who has been accused of sexually abusing his stepdaughter over the period of several years, to take to trial.
Clawson was arrested January 31, on three charges of first degree sodomy, a class-A felony under Kentucky statute. Each offense carries a potential life sentence if convicted.
Clawson allegedly admitted to the charges before Kentucky State Police and Trigg County Sheriff’s Department officers on video and audio recordings. However, according to Commonwealth Attorney G.L. Ovey, that does not confirm his guilt.
"Saturated all the way through all of this is the presumption of innocence," Ovey said.
Clawson is currently out on bond. District Judge William McCaslin set the $2,500 bond the evening he was arrested. Clawson’s wife Teresa posted the required 10-percent, or $250, to have him released on the condition that he would appear in court before a Judge.
Ovey said bond is set after considering a number of factors that are "placed into the wash."
"Bond is set, according to the rules, based on several factors," Ovey said. "One of which is prior record, gravity of the offense, likelihood of the commission of another offense, if released on bond; all those factors are placed into the wash, so to speak, and reasonable bond is to be established."
Ovey also said he was going to revisit the bond issue at the Circuit Court level. Once Clawson is indicted, which Ovey said is expected, he will then have the opportunity to reestablish the bond based on the factors surrounding the offense.
"If (the Grand Jury) return an indictment, as I suspect that they will, the case will officially be in the Circuit Court, which has the jurisdiction to hear that case," Ovey said. "The bond decision will be made once the indictment is returned, which we expect to happen Wednesday."
Clawson is being represented by Attorney Dan Hicks. Calls to his office were not returned by press time.
The incidents surrounding the case have spurred some community members to become aggravated and speak out against what they felt was a low bond for a heinous crime.
"It’s just kind of scary to know there is a pedophile out there running the streets," one community member said, who agreed to speak on a condition of anonymity.
