Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced that he filed a petition of quo warranto to remove Ray County Sheriff Scott Childers from office. He has secured an order to remove the sheriff from office during the pendency of the trial.
“I will always work to protect Missourians,” said Attorney General Bailey. “As Attorney General, it is my duty to hold accountable those who refuse to do their job as required by Missouri law. To that end, I am moving for the removal of the Ray County Sheriff.”
The petition asserts Childers “has knowingly or willfully failed and refused to perform official acts and duties which by law it is his duty to do or perform with respect to the execution or enforcement of criminal laws of the State, and he has engaged in willful acts of misconduct, malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance in office.”
Specifically, Childers failed to do his duty when he:
- Unlawfully allowed multiple detainees to leave or be released from the Ray County Jail.
- Stated on social media his plan to use detainees to work at his home or other businesses.
- Allowed detainees to drive vehicles, make purchases at local stores, leave the state, and move freely about Ray County without supervision.
- Failed to assure detainees not obtain contraband, which have been brought into the jail.
- Permitted detainees to bring contraband (drugs, alcohol, cellphones, etc.) into the jail.
- Allowed released detainees to work on his property and the property of friends and acquaintances.
- Received or accepted a benefit in exchange for keeping pretrial detainees in the jail.
Original source can be found here.