Chickashanews.com

Editorials

October 5, 2008

In the pursuit of justice

By BRET BURNS

District Attorney



This week brought closure to some of the most controversial cases in Grady County history. The corruption cases of Sheriff Kieran McMullen, Police Officer Helen McMullen, Deputy Robert Cacy, Deputy Bill Swanson, Deputy Delmar Barthelme and Police Officer Jerry Tyler have finally come to an end with their guilty pleas to the charges of Willful Neglect of Duty. These individuals were indicted by a Grand Jury in October 2006. Through legal maneuvering they were able to delay the court process for two years. Thousands of dollars in legal fees, court room time and State resources later, the resolution is the same result that I offered before the cases were ever filed.

These cases arose from the peace officers violating the law in the Chickasha Elks Lodge. Many people think this case was about illegal gambling. Let me make it very clear - this case was about a Sheriff, deputies and police officers who thought they were above the law. Gambling was not the primary issue – it was the corruption and cover up surrounding the gambling that followed. No group or individual is above the law. I heard many comments in the community that this type of illegal gambling had been occurring at the Elks Lodge for many years and there was nothing wrong with it. I disagree. The law should apply to everyone equally. If the law is only applied to select individual or groups, we lose the integrity of our justice system. This case was unique because the individuals violating the law were the police officers who were responsible for enforcing the law.

On the morning after the ABLE raid of the Elks lodge, the Sheriff complained to a radio station that the ABLE raid was the result of personal animosity between the Sheriff and the District Attorney. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Sheriff was diverting attention from his own actions. I was sickened to view the officers so openly violating the law and their efforts to cover it up. This whole scandal has embarrassed our county and cast a black cloud over all law enforcement. I work with approximately 35 law enforcement agencies in my four county District and this situation has been embarrassing for us all. There is nothing political or personal about police corruption. I will continue to prosecute any law enforcement officer who violates their oaths of office and then lies about it.

Throughout this case I’ve been threatened and personally attacked. The old saying that “desperate people will do desperate things” has proven true. I have been asked many times why I didn’t ask another prosecutor from another jurisdiction to handle these cases. The answer is quite simple: I was elected to represent the citizens of Grady County and do my job. That means doing the job even when it’s not the most popular thing to do.

This investigation began under former District Attorney Gene Christian and will end with my administration. Although Sheriff McMullen made a mockery of the Grady County Sheriff’s Office, there are still many good and decent people who work within the Sheriff’s department. These are people who diligently performed their duties each day. There have been many other employees of the Sheriff’s office who have failed to do their jobs. As a result, citizen’s rights have been violated and victims of crime have suffered. Further, these same individuals have repeatedly misled the court with false information. The Sheriff lost the trust of prosecutors, the courts and jurors.

With this negative footnote in history behind us, it is time for Grady County to move forward. I have had the pleasure to work with both former Sheriff’s Ron Taylor and Stan Florence. Both these men and their staff’s represented our county with professionalism and integrity. I look forward to a new era for our Sheriff’s office where we can once again have confidence and pride in our Sheriff’s office.

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