UPDATE: MACON COUNTY COMMISSION ACCUSED OF FAILURE TO PAY SPECIAL PROSECUTOR

ORIGINAL STORY:

(MACON, MO) On January 22nd, 2019, the Macon County Commissioners were ordered to appear in court per a motion for contempt filed by Jordan L. Force, Special Prosecuting Attorney for Macon County. The motion accuses the commission of failing to pay the petitioner $90.00 for her services. The motion also cites a previous court ordered reimbursement for time and expenses, filed in December of 2018 signed by Associate Circuit Judge Mike Greenwell.

As of this writing, a change of judge has left open the court date. Commissioners Alan Wyatt, Kevin Souther, and Clarence Walker could not be reached for comment.

UPDATE:

Originally, The Home Press acquired documents that were given to the Macon County Commissioners after a motion for contempt was filed by Jordan L. Force, the Prosecuting Attorney of Shelby County who had been appointed Special Prosecutor of Macon County. The motion alleges the County Commission failed to pay the petitioner $90.00 for her time and service in one particular case. After interviewing Ms. Force and acquiring more documents from the Shelby County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, we are including what else we have found.

In 15 cases spanning the past year, Ms. Force incurred time and expenses prosecuting Macon County cases after she was appointed Special Prosecutor when Macon County prosecutors had recused themselves. Court orders for the Macon County Commission to pay Ms. Force for her time and expenses, totaling a little over $5,500 for all cases, have since been obtained by this paper. Of the 15 cases, three court orders for reimbursement were signed by Judge Rick Tucker with the remaining twelve being signed by Judge Mike Greenwell ordering the commission to pay Ms. Force for said fees. Other documents include orders to show cause which were served to the Macon County Commissioners for all 15 cases. Ms. Force filed these to hold the commissioners in contempt, alleging the commissioners failed to adhere to judges’ orders of reimbursement.

Until a January 25th change of judge, filed by the commission’s attorney Ivan Schraeder, Judge Russell Steele presided over this case. On January 31st, 2019, the Supreme Court appointed Judge Terry Tschannan to preside “for the limited purpose of addressing the failure of the Macon County Commissioners to comply with the court order for payment of said fees” according to Casenet. As of this writing, the court date is still open.

According to Ms. Force, “Two different judges reviewed my time sheets and ordered them to pay my fees. They refused. Only after that was I forced to file a contempt motion - they are in contempt of court for failing to follow the Judges’ orders. I’ve provided these services for Macon County the seven years prior and there has never been an issue. Nothing was different in 2018 than in the previous years.”

As of this update, the Macon County Commission could not be reached for a statement.