Sheriff dropped from libel lawsuit

 CLAREMORE, Okla. (AP) — The Rogers County sheriff and two others have been dropped as defendants in a defamation lawsuit filed by District Attorney Janice Steidley.


Steidley and two assistants sued last fall over a failed petition drive aimed at removing Steidley from office. The lawsuit alleges libel and defamation after the petition accused Steidley and others of witness tampering, wiretapping and other crimes. 

The Claremore Daily Progress reported Wednesday that the plaintiffs were dismissed this week as result of a mediated agreement calling for Sheriff Scott Walton and two others to pay a portion of Steidley’s legal fees in exchange for being removed as defendants.

The petition had asked for a grand jury investigation into allegations that Steidley tampered with witnesses, wiretapped courthouse employees along with an assistant district attorney, and sent threatening text messages to a deputy sheriff. Attorney General Scott Pruitt has directed the state’s multicounty grand jury to investigate the allegations, though no report has been issued. The panel next meets March 25.
The proposed settlement in the defamation lawsuit said the parties met Feb. 8 with former state Sen. Stratton Taylor and current Sen. Sean Burrage acting as mediators.

Though Walton and three others were dropped as defendants, the civil case is still pending against two current Claremore police officers and others who would not sign the agreement or were excluded from it, the newspaper reported.