New Kent man acquitted on abduction charge, guilty on violating protective order

A New Kent man was found not guilty of an abduction charge lodged against him following a July 24 trial.

A jury found that Thomas Bennett Luck, 49, of the 2700 block of Patriots Landing, was innocent of felony charge. However, he was found guilty on a single count of misdemeanor violation of a protective order.

On Nov. 1, 2024, Luck and a family member had gotten into a verbal argument after a protective order was issued against him. The prosecution argued that Luck was holding the victim against their will at the home, but the defense team for Luck won out an argument that he was assisting the victim who was suffering a medical emergency. However, by law when a protective order is issued against somebody, they are not allowed to be anywhere close to the victim, which was the case, resulting in the conviction against the defendant.

Formal sentencing for Luck is scheduled for Aug. 25. He faces up to 12 months in jail and/or a $2,500 fine.