Attorney general seeks bond revocation for embattled sheriff

Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley asked a court to revoke the bond of Cory Hutcheson, who has been removed as Mississippi County Sheriff after being charged with 18 criminal counts in April, according to a news release.

The request to a Mississippi County circuit court comes after a Hawley's office began an investigation into the death of an inmate at the Mississippi County Jail on May 5.

Tory Sanders died after an altercation at the jail which Hawley said involved Hutcheson, who continued to perform administrative duties at the sheriff's department after his law-enforcement license was suspended.

"The facts more than establish that Cory Hutcheson has violated the terms of his bail and is a danger to the community," Hawley said in the release Tuesday. "Three people have died at the Mississippi County Jail on his watch."

After Sanders' death, a judge issued a preliminary order banning Hutcheson from "engaging in any activity" as sheriff or entering the sheriff's office.

Hawley's request Tuesday asserts further action is necessary.

"The court should act now, by revoking his bail, to prevent further tragedy and any interference in our investigation," Hawley said.

A wrongful-death lawsuit also has been filed against the Mississippi County Detention Center after a woman died in the jail of an overdose. Jailers working for Hutcheson, who then was jail administrator, are accused of laughing at the woman and ignoring her cries for help, according to the lawsuit.

The suit claims Mississippi County has "a custom, policy and practice of ignoring detainee's pleas for emergency medical care."

The lawsuit claims Hutcheson and the Mississippi County government "allowed correction officers with no or inadequate training to assess" medical conditions and withhold or deny medical treatment.

Hutcheson, 33, was arrested in April for crimes including assault, robbery and forgery.

He is accused of handcuffing an elderly woman with such force she suffered a heart attack, according to charging documents filed in the case.

He also is accused of having fraudulently used department technology in 2014 to track five Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers, then-Mississippi County Sheriff Keith Moore and Circuit Judge David Dolan, according to charging documents filed in the case.

Hutcheson, who was elected sheriff in November and took office in January, has denied the allegations through his lawyer, Scott Rosenblum of St. Louis.

Mississippi County Coroner Terry Parker was named acting sheriff last week after the preliminary order barred Hutcheson from office.

tgraef@semissourian.com (573) 388-3627