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ODNR employees are back in court |
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Written by Staff
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Wednesday, 14 March 2012 |
Five ODNR officials were back in the Brown County Court of Common Pleas this week for a pre-trial, stemming from charges filed in 2010. David Graham, Randy Miller, James Lehman, Michele Ward-Tackett and Todd Haines were each indicted on single counts of obstruction of justice and complicity to obstructing justice after an investigation into charges against former Brown County Wildlife Officer Allan Wright, who was charged with falsifying a hunting license so that South Carolina resident Eric Vaughn could obtain an Ohio hunting license.
The case against Graham, Miller, Lehman, Ward-Tackett and Haines was initially dismissed after the defendants submitted an appeal, stating the statements they had given during the investigation were obtained under threat of dismissal, and therefore violated their Garrity rights. Brown County Court of Common Pleas Judge Scott Gusweiler agreed and suppressed the defendants’ statements.
In January, the Twelfth District Court of Appeals reversed that decision, with Judge Robin Piper stating the defendants gave their statements voluntarily and without threat of termination.
The pre-trial for the five ODNR officers was held on Monday, March 12. The next court date in this case has not been scheduled at this time.
Wright was indicted by a federal Grand Jury in Cincinnati in August 2011 with charges of trafficking in and making false records for illegally harvested white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) in violation of the Lacey Act. Wright’s case is also still ongoing. |
