MOREHOUSE MARSHALL IMPEACHED

MOREHOUSE -- A vote by the Morehouse Board of Aldermen has apparently put an end to the controversy involving the city's marshal. The board of aldermen voted to impeach Doug Triplett as their city marshal, more than seven months after placing him on paid administrative leave.

The vote, taken May 18, was not unanimous, said Morehouse Mayor Pete Leija, and came after much deliberation by the board with their city attorney Joe Fuchs about the impeachment process. Three board members voted in favor of the impeachment with one board member abstaining from the vote.

Triplett was placed on administrative leave after two meetings by the Board of Aldermen with the public about the officer and his conduct last fall. After Triplett was charged Sept. 27 with three misdemeanor counts of violation of the juvenile code for failing to take a child to juvenile court and one felony count of felonious restraint, the council placed Triplett on leave.

Leija said the board had hoped the court case would have been completed by now or that Triplett would resign. Because neither had occurred, the mayor continued, something needed to be done because the cost of paying the suspended officer's salary was "eating up" so much of the town's police budget that the city could not afford to pay another person to fill the position.

The impeachment was based on Triplett's failure to meet the residency requirement. Elected Morehouse city marshal in April 1999, Triplett had owned property in Morehouse, which is located in New Madrid County; however, recently he announced his intention to seek the office of Stoddard County sheriff and listed his residency as Essex, a Stoddard County community.

Triplett said he based his candidacy in Morehouse on the fact that he was a taxpayer of the city, which he said the city ordinance requires.

"The impeachment was based on me not living in Morehouse, therefore I won't fight it. I won't put my integrity in question. I never lived in Morehouse, I live in Gray Ridge, but I owned property in Morehouse and still do," Triplett said.

Curtis Poore, Triplett's attorney, emphasized the impeachment was strictly over the residency requirement. "There wasn't any incompetence or any wrongdoing," Poore noted. "Doug didn't even participate in the hearing." Morehouse has issued Triplett his check for his back pay, his attorney said.

Although he said he has not received official notification of his impeachment, Triplett said he is moving on to new challenges. He is completing his master's degree at Southeast Missouri State University this summer.

"I'm looking forward to the court trial and hopefully, from there the election coming up for sheriff in Stoddard County," said Triplett. "I would like to thank the residents of Morehouse who have been fighting for me but the city needs to heal. This should have a positive outcome." The city's mayor, who said while he didn't dislike Triplett but that the two rarely saw eye-to-eye on issues, does agree with him about this.

"This has torn the town apart ... I hope we don't find ourselves in this situation ever in the future," he said.

And the town is moving on as well.

The search now has begun for a new city marshal. Leija said there are already several applicants and the one chosen by the board will serve until the next April city election, when the appointee will then have to run for office.

He added the board of aldermen will look closely at its residency ordinances to ensure the rules are clear on who is eligible to seek office.

Triplett's trial on the four charges is still pending. The court date is set for July 20 and 21.