by Bob Walsh
Terry Sue Barnett used to be the Sheriff of Nowata County. On Monday she resigned, as did all of her deputies and almost all of the jail staff. She asserts that the jail is badly contaminated with black mold, as dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide in the buildings, and dangerous wiring.
A judge ordered her to house inmates in the decrepit jail. She refused, pointing out that she was no longer the Sheriff and as a private citizen she is under no obligation to take custody of people. The jail has been empty since February 28.
The judge also allegedly attempted to issue an order forbidding them to resign.
Mirta Hallett was appointed as the interim sheriff. Hallett told media outlets that deputies should be back on the road Wednesday night, but it was unclear if these were newly hired deputies or the old staff.
Nowata county has about 10,000 residents.
2 comments:
When I was stationed in Matagorda County in 1980 we had a similar jail. Those poor inmates were hot in the summer and cold in the winter. The fucking mosquitos could fly in the upstairs barred windows and if someone turned off the exhaust fan the place was Hell on Earth. A yellow Kerr dog laid near the front steps and if he didn't like you, you didn't get in.
Many places in Oklahoma are functionally like the dark side of the moon. They play by different rules there.
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