Pubdate: Sun, 18 Aug 2002
Source: Baytown Sun, The (TX)
Copyright: 2002sBaytown Sun
Contact:  http://web.baytownsun.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1696
Author: Matthew Cook, The Baytown Sun
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/corrupt.htm (Corruption - United States)

GRAND JURY INDICTS EX-CHIEF DEPUTY

A Chambers County grand jury indicted former chief deputy Dearl Hardy on 
multiple charges Friday.

Hardy is expected to turn himself in Monday, sources close to the 
investigation said. Attorney Greg Cagle, who represents Hardy, declined to 
comment on the indictments, but said his client has done "absolutely 
nothing wrong."

Sheriff Monroe Kreuzer declined to comment.

District Attorney Michael Little did not return phone calls to his office 
Friday.

An indictment means that a grand jury has determined that there is enough 
evidence to justify the need for a trial.

Hardy had served with the Chambers County Sheriff's Department since Jan. 
1, 2001, after he was hired by Kreuzer.

Prior to working at the sheriff's department, Hardy had been employed at a 
juvenile offender boot camp and he had worked for the Chambers County 
Narcotics Task Force.

Hardy is the fourth official from the Chambers County Sheriff's Department 
to be indicted in the past two months.

Last month, three deputies were indicted on several charges. Two deputies 
were charged with falsifying government documents, but said they were 
ordered to do so by Hardy.

Former deputies John Joslin and Brett Hulsey were both charged with 
falsifying a government document. Joslin was also charged with aggravated 
perjury and officials oppression.

Their indictments stemmed from the September drunken driving arrest of 
Vernon Coates.

Following his indictment, Joslin said Hardy ordered he and Hulsey to file 
false charges against Coates, or else they would lose their jobs.

Little has dropped all pending cases against Coates as a result of the 
indictments.

Cagle said his client has taken and passed a polygraph examination in which 
he stated that he did not order the deputies to file any drunken driving 
charges against Coates.

Hardy was terminated from the sheriff's department last month for violating 
county policies and procedures. Although Kreuzer declined to discuss the 
termination, Chambers County is facing potential litigation because of an 
agreement between Hardy and the Hill Country Dog Center for the $40,000 
purchase of four drug dogs.

The county has paid for one of the dogs, but still owes money for the other 
three.

Chambers County Commissioner Bill Wallace said he hoped the matter would be 
resolved quickly, for better or worse.

"Chambers County's had enough publicity over this matter," he said. "I hope 
he gets a speedy trial and we get it over with."

Although an indictment is not a conviction of guilt, Wallace said that if 
Hardy is convicted it will send a message that peace officers are not above 
the law.

"Naturally, you always hate to see someone who's in the high ranks of the 
department run afoul of the law," he said. "If he is convicted, it will 
prove that policemen are people just like everyone else and when they break 
the law, they have to pay."
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