Foster's charges are dismissed
By Ethan Smith
Published in News on March 1, 2016 1:46 PM
Bevan Foster
Charges brought against District 4 council member Bevan Foster in late October 2015 for allegedly communicating threats to harm his uncle were dismissed on Friday.
Foster maintained his innocence on the charges from the outset, denying that he ever threatened his uncle from the time the charges were levied against him.
Foster and his uncle were ordered by a judge at Foster's initial hearing about the charges on Jan. 15 to mediate the issues between the two men out of court.
At Foster's second hearing on Friday, the charges were dismissed outright due to the completion of mediation between the two men.
Foster's uncle, James Robert Hinnant of 703 S. Taylor St., brought the charges against Foster on Oct. 26, 2015, when a warrant was issued for Foster's arrest. Foster was arrested while he was at the polls for local early voting during the election for his seat on the Goldsboro City Council on Oct. 28, 2015.
The warrant for Foster's arrest, issued in October 2015, said that Foster had told his uncle, "I am going to kill you," while on a public street.
A phone call to Foster requesting comment on the dismissal of his charges was not returned by press time.
Foster was elected to represent District 4 on the Goldsboro City Council after handily defeating the incumbent, Charles Williams, who had served on the council for 20 years.
Results of the general election, held in November 2015, ended with Foster receiving 230 votes, or 55.69 percent of the vote, and Williams receiving 170 votes, or 41.16 percent of the vote.
Foster also easily defeated his opponents in the city's primary election, held in October 2015, defeating both Williams and challenger Tondalayo Clark.
During the primary election, Foster received 154 votes while Williams and Ms. Clark received 94 and 92 votes, respectively.
Foster joined the ranks of three others that ran for election in 2015 -- David Ham, Mark Stevens and Antonio Williams -- as first-time city council members.
Following the 2015 election, incumbents Michael Headen, William Goodman and Charles Williams were all unseated.
Chuck Allen ran for, and was elected as, mayor of Goldsboro, leaving his seat on the council open, for which Ham ran uncontested.