Thursday, September 16, 2004

At least someplaces IOKIYAR only goes so far...

These two fine elected officials in the rural Cass County Iowa were SURPRISE Republicans (and why not the broad brush, it is used against Democrats constantly).

Does any of this sound familiar to more national candidates?

From the Des Moines Register:

Concluding that "justice was for sale," a judge on Wednesday forced Cass County's two highest-ranking law enforcement officials out of office.

District Judge Robert Hutchison removed Cass County Attorney James Barry and Sheriff Larry Jones after finding they had committed willful misconduct and violated state laws. By noon, the two had moved personal belongings from their courthouse offices and an acting sheriff had been designated.

In sharply worded rulings, Hutchison described sworn testimony by Jones as "absurd" and by Barry as "amazing." The judge said it appeared Barry was either "unable to recognize his improper behaviors or cannot admit the truth of his transgressions," and he described Jones' misconduct in office as "blatant and unjustified."

Attorneys for Barry and Jones did not return phone calls Wednesday. They can appeal Hutchison's ruling to the Iowa Supreme Court, but that action would not stop their removal from office.


Among these actions were:

The county attorney was either "unable to recognize his improper behaviors or cannot admit the truth of his transgressions," a district judge said.

The judge's decision describes the county sheriff's misconduct in office as "blatant and unjustified."

In his orders removing Cass County Attorney James Barry and Sheriff Larry Jones, District Judge Robert Hutchison found that:

• Barry viewed weapons in the sheriff's office, including machine guns, as "fair game" for him to use "simply because he wanted to shoot the guns." Barry kept some county-owned guns "for years."
• Barry generated more than $19,000 in fees for the county by improperly acting as defendants' probation officer and charging them a fee for his services.
• Jones had as much as $16,000 in his office safe at one time. The county treasurer was never told about the fund. The fund was supplemented with cash paid by defendants who received plea bargains "engineered by Barry" in exchange for their money.
• Jones used some of the money in the safe to purchase a vehicle and a high-powered rifle for Barry's use.


And, yes, once again, these men were REPUBLICANS.