Pubdate: Sat, 05 Nov 2005
Source: Courier-Journal, The (Louisville, KY)
Copyright: 2005 The Courier-Journal
Contact:  http://www.courier-journal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/97
Note: Only publishes local LTEs
Author: Tonia Holbrook

OLDHAM DETECTIVE ALLEGEDLY FALSIFIED AFFIDAVITS

Jones Indicted, Denies Charge

An Oldham County sheriff's detective has been indicted on a charge 
that he falsified affidavits in a drug arrest last year. Capt. Rob 
Jones, 38, is charged with one misdemeanor count of false swearing.

He was indicted Thursday night and is restricted to administrative 
duties pending the outcome of his case in Oldham District Court and 
an internal investigation. He's been with the sheriff's office for 
nearly three years. Jones denied any wrongdoing yesterday.

"Everything I put on my notes was accurate according to what those 
people (witnesses in the drug case) told me," Jones said in an 
interview. "I don't falsify documents."

The charge stems from one of several cases against Stephen Kasey of 
La Grange, who was charged with possessing and trafficking in 
marijuana and possessing drug paraphernalia. Kasey's attorney, John 
Carter, asked Oldham District Judge Diana Wheeler to suppress 
evidence in Kasey's trial, saying Jones falsely quoted witnesses on 
affidavits used to get the search warrant that led to Kasey's arrest. 
But Wheeler upheld the search warrant, saying the defense failed to 
prove "deliberate falsehood or reckless disregard for the truth."

Jones' attorney, Tom Clay, said he doesn't see how the commonwealth's 
attorney's office can reconcile the indictment with Wheeler's ruling. 
And because the case against Jones will be handled in district court, 
the county attorney's office will prosecute him -- the same attorneys 
who argued in Kasey's suppression hearing that the detective's 
affidavits were valid.

"It's certainly going to be an interesting scenario," Clay said.

Sheriff Steve Sparrow said he believes Jones. "We've not had any 
problems with Captain Jones whatsoever."

This is the second time Jones has been accused of dishonesty on the 
job, which Jones said makes him "an easy target."

He was fired from his former position as a drug investigator for 
Kentucky State Police in Bowling Green in 2003 after being accused of 
falsifying a public document and disobeying his superior officers. 
But the state police trial board that fired him later reinstated him, 
and Jones subsequently resigned. State police investigated the most 
recent allegations against Jones, which Jones said he considers a 
conflict of interest.

Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney Berry Baxter said his office 
routinely asks state police to investigate allegations against local 
officers to remove any sense of bias.

Jones said his indictment is political, based on a rift between the 
sheriff's office and the Oldham County Police Department. County 
officials have said the "turf war" seems to center on whether the 
county police would someday merge with the sheriff's office. Each 
organization has accused the other of duplicating services.

County Police Chief Michael Griffin said he asked the commonwealth's 
attorney's office to have Jones investigated, but he denied having 
any influence in Jones' indictment. "About him (Jones) being an easy 
target, I don't know about that," Griffin said. "The grand jury 
probably doesn't care about that; they probably don't know Rob Jones from Adam."
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