Sheriff Says ‘Drop Them Charges’
July 29th will be a big day for Woodward County Sheriff Leslie Morton, shown above, as it is primary election day and he is facing two opponents in the Democrat primary race for Sheriff of Woodward County.
Sheriff Morton may be a bit distracted on election day as that is also the scheduled date of his preliminary hearing on 20 counts of filing false, fictitious or fraudulent claims against the state and 9 counts of embezzlement.
Sheriff Morton’s problems date back to 2005 when it was alleged that he filed false or fraudulent travel reimbursement claims between 2003 and 2005.
Woodward County Commissioners at the time called on the sheriff to pay back nearly $17,000 in travel expenses.
His attorney, Mack Martin of Oklahoma City, says that back in 2005 that Sheriff Morton made a deal with special prosecutor Bret Burns under which Morton would reimburse the county $6,594.98 and in return criminal charges against Morton would be withdrawn and apparently they were.
That is until a grand jury indicted Sheriff Morton in March 2008 on 20 counts of filing false, fictitious or fraudulent claims and recommended that the Sheriff be removed from office.
The charges contained in the grand jury indictment of March 2008 were dismissed and refiled as criminal charges on the part of the Oklahoma Attorney General in June only in addition to the 20 charges alleging fraudulent travel claims the Attorney General’s office tossed in 9 additional charges alleging embezzlement.
And that’s where we are today.
Sheriff Morton’s attorney has filed a motion requesting the Woodward County court dismiss all charges against Sheriff Les Morton.
Mack Martin says that the charges against Morton are a “vindictive prosecution” and the prosecution’s timing in bringing charges against Morton nearly three years after irregularities were first noticed is questionable, because it could be perceived as an attempt to influence the race for sheriff.
Martin goes on to claim that the “deal” involving Morton, himself and Bret Burns concluded all issues involved with Morton’s travel claims between 2003 and 2005 and that the current charges against Morton violate Morton’s due-process rights and disregarded the 2005 agreement between Sheriff Morton and the state.
At the heart of the issue is the approximate $10,000 difference between what the state claims that Morton owed the county in reimbursement and the approximate $7,000 which Morton actually reimbursed the county.
Of course the Attorney General’s office maintains that Morton fraudulently claimed about $17,000 in fraudulent travel expense reimbursements.
Obviously the issue will have to be settled in court.
But this case is sure going to make for an interesting primary election if Sheriff Morton’s attorney can not get the charges dismissed before July 29th.
Woodward County Court records of charges arising both from the grand jury indictment and the Attorney General’s office are Available Here
Is this the same Bret Burns of Grady County fame, who is prosecuting Sheriff McMullen as he makes his bid for re-election?
Oh…. and you should see the all out war here in Grady County. McMullen’s SO and the Chickasha Daily Express-Star are going back and forth so much that the Express-Star has almost put something on the Sheriff on the front page almost every day for the past few weeks. It’s getting really silly down here!