Saline County Sheriff Will Not Face Charges Over Testimony During Juvenile Sex Case
By: Import User
Updated: January 7, 2009
A prosecutor says he won`t bring charges
against Saline County Sheriff Phil Mask over testimony the sheriff
gave in a juvenile sex case.
Mask testified for the defense during the trial of former
Shannon Hills Police Chief John Brown. The ex-chief was convicted
of sexual assault of a 15-year-old and was sentenced to 25 years in
prison.
During trial, Mask testified that he doubted Brown`s guilt,
though his deputies investigated the case and made the arrest. Mask
said he questioned the girl`s truthfulness because of the way she
smiled at him when she and her family came to the sheriff`s office
for an interview.
Benton County Prosecutor Bob Balfe was named as special
prosecutor to probe whether Mask was to be charged after Saline
County Prosecutor Robert Herzfeld asked for an investigation.
Balfe said police and prosecutors built a solid case but Mask
committed no crime by testifying about his doubts.
