Scott County sheriff requests new judge in office-move case

BENTON, Mo. — A hearing to decide whether the Scott County Sheriff's Office will move its location to the Scott County jail was canceled Wednesday, Dec. 28, following the sheriff's request for a new judge.

According to online court records, attorney Daniel Thomas Moore, who was acting on behalf of Scott County Sheriff Wes Drury, filed on Tuesday, Dec. 27, a motion for a change of judge in the civil case between the Scott County Commission and the Scott County sheriff.

On Wednesday, the motion for the change of judge was granted; the hearing was canceled, and the matter was sent to the Missouri Supreme Court for assignment of a new judge, online court records said.

Pemiscot County Judge William Edward Reeves was then assigned by the Supreme Court to replace Special Judge Terry Lynn Brown, who had previously been assigned to the case. The hearing had been set for 1 p.m. Wednesday. As of early Wednesday afternoon, a new date for the hearing had not been scheduled.

On Dec. 19, on behalf of the Scott County Commission, Scott County Prosecuting Attorney Amanda Oesch filed a petition in Scott County's 33rd Judicial Circuit for a "writ of mandamus or injunction" against Drury, according to online court records. A mandamus is an order from a court to an inferior government official ordering the government official to properly fulfill their official duties or correct an abuse of discretion.

Through the petition, Oesch asked for an order to make the sheriff move offices from the "Sheriff's Office" building located behind the Scott County Courthouse and adjacent to the Judicial Building in Benton to the second level of the Scott County jail to make room to add a courtroom and jury space.

Once a hearing is held, the judge will decide whether to grant the writ of mandamus and injunction.