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Former DE Lawmaker Arrested on Strangulation Charges

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DOVER, Del. (AP) - A former Delaware lawmaker has been arrested on charges of strangulation and assault following a domestic dispute.

Court records show that 48-year-old John Atkins of Millsboro was arrested last week and charged with strangulation, a felony, and third-degree assault, which is a misdemeanor. He was given a $7,000 unsecured bond.

A preliminary hearing for Atkins that had been scheduled for Thursday was continued to a later date.

Atkins did not immediately return telephone messages Thursday. 

In 2016, Atkins was charged with offensive touching and criminal mischief after a domestic dispute with a woman.

Those charges were dropped after a prosecutor determined there was insufficient evidence to move forward.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.