OTTAWA — Sheriff Jeff Curry announced in court this afternoon that he will resign effective 5 p.m. April 1. “After a great deal of deliberation, my client is announced that he has decided to voluntarily submit his resignation,” Curry’s attorney Trey Pettlon told Senior Judge John E. Sanders. ”Is that indeed your intention?” Sanders asked Curry.
Yes it is,” Curry replied. Prior to today’s hearing, Pettlon handed a copy of the resignation to special prosecutor Todd Hiatt. He also gave a copy to Curry, who signed it. Pettlon told Sanders that a copy would be sent to the governor this afternoon. Technically, Curry, who has been charged with interfering with a law enforcement officer and official misconduct, remains in office until he either resigns, is removed or voted out. Today’s hearing was on a motion by Hiatt to temporarily suspend Curry from his office but Hiatt said that in light of negotiations with Curry and his willingness to resign, he would withdraw that motion. In the meantime, Curry has been on administrative leave and hasn’t been in the office since he was arrested, Hiatt said. Undersheriff Steve Lunger will remain in charge of the department in the meantime, Hiatt said. A formal motion to oust Curry will be delayed until his resignation, when it will be rendered moot, Hiatt said. However, the two criminal charges won’t be affected by Curry’s resignation and the dropping of the ouster suit. A preliminary hearing for Curry on the charges, as well as a preliminary hearing for Deputy Jerrod Fredricks, who was charged with interfering with a law enforcement officer, has been tentatively set for April 1. The preliminary hearings, which will determine if there’s enough evidence to hold them for trial, will be combined. The evidence against the two is virtually the same, Hiatt said. Following the hearing, Curry said he had no comment and referred questions to his attorney. In the hearing, Sanders also agreed to hear motions from attorneys for the Ottawa Herald and Kansas City television stations seeking to unseal the documents involved in the case. That hearing has also been tentatively set for April 1. Because he’s a Republican, the Franklin County Republican Party committee members who select a successor to Curry. Cathy McClay, a member of the Republican central committee who attended the hearing, said that when party chair Jeff Richards receives formal word from the governor’s office, he’ll call for a party convention. Ironically, Curry was selected by a party convention when Sheriff Craig Davis retired. Curry was elected in his own right last August in a three-way Republican primary. No Democrat filed. Audio from Jeff Curry‘s attorney
Thursday, March 21, 3 p.m.
