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Prosecutor gets case of Garrard circuit clerk

January 18, 2009|TODD KLEFFMAN

LANCASTER - The investigation into possible wrongdoing by former Garrard Circuit Clerk Jennifer Grubbs has been turned over to a special prosecutor.

The state Attorney General's Office forwarded the case to Madison County Commonwealth's Attorney David Smith after the Administrative Office of the Courts completed its investigation into Grubbs' office last week.

"Our internal investigation found some concerns that we felt should be addressed by a prosecutor's office," Leigh Anne Hiatt, spokeswoman for AOC, said Friday. "We felt that was the best way to handle it."

Grubbs was suspended Dec. 16 by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Minton while an investigation was conducted. AOC officials have declined to reveal the nature of the investigation, but Minton's announcement hinted that it might be focused on financial improprieties.

Grubbs then retired, effective Dec. 31. She said her retirement was planned well before her suspension and she didn't expect the investigation to turn up any wrongdoing.

Dana Hensley, the chief deputy under Grubbs, was named interim clerk last week and will serve until the 2010 general election.

Smith said Friday that he received information from the AOC investigation just that morning and had not yet had a chance to look at it. Smith said he was only aware that Grubbs had been suspended and then resigned.

Smith said he probably wouldn't get to the investigation until later this week and would take awhile to determine if any crimes had been committed. Any evidence of criminal activity likely would be presented to a Garrard County grand jury for possible indictment, he said.

The Attorney General's Office often assigns a special prosecutor to a case where there is a potential conflict of interest. Tom Lockridge serves as commonwealth's attorney for Garrard County and regularly deals with the circuit clerk's office.

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