SHERIFF BARTA FIRES SGT. FRANK GOOD

The sheriff's department drug scandal claimed a fourth member of the
department Thursday when Sgt. Frank Good, a 15-year veteran, was fired. The
date marked exactly one year since Good was charged with perjury in the
scandal.

"He's no longer an employee of the Shawnee County Sheriff's Department,"
Sheriff Dick Barta said Thursday afternoon.

Barta referred other questions to county counselor Rich Eckert, who said
Good was "discharged for just cause" effective Thursday. He said the firing
was related to the perjury charges.

Good, 40, is to stand trial May 1 in Shawnee County District Court on two
counts of felony perjury for allegedly testifying falsely Feb. 22, 1999,
and March 10, 1999, that he didn't know Timothy P. Oblander used illegal
drugs while a deputy. Oblander issued a statement March 1, 1999, admitting
he had been addicted to cocaine.

Eckert said "just cause" is a disciplinary standard that "involves a review
not only of whether the officer engaged in misconduct which warrants
discipline, but also of whether the level of discipline imposed was fair
given the officer's offense."

He declined to expand on the firing.

Eckert said two copies of a short letter informing Good that he was
terminated had been mailed to Good on Wednesday. One copy was sent by
registered mail and the other by standard mail to make sure Good would
received the letter.

"We had a due process meeting on Monday, and (Good) was given his chance to
explain," Eckert said.

Eckert declined to discuss what occurred at the due process meeting, which
was attended by Good, Eckert, a member of the Fraternal Order of Police
representing Good and sheriff's Capt. Kermit Crane, who represented
sheriff's department management. The FOP is the bargaining unit
representing deputies.

Eckert said he gave legal advice to the sheriff's department on the Good
matter but Barta made the decision to discharge Good.

A decision hadn't been made on whether the sheriff's department would
forward its decision to the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Commission,
which issues certificates to officers, Eckert said. According to state law,
an officer in Kansas must be certified in order to work in law enforcement.
Dave Meneley, who was ousted Feb. 24 as sheriff, is in the midst of an
action to determine whether the training commission will revoke his law
enforcement certificate.

On Wednesday, a Shawnee County district judge acknowledged many news
stories had been written and broadcast about the sheriff's department drug
scandal but declined to move Good's case outside Shawnee County for trial.
She said prejudice against Good hadn't been demonstrated.

On Tuesday, the judge turned down Good's request for more time so he could
hire an attorney to replace his current defense attorney.

Before his firing, Good had been on administrative leave with pay since
Feb. 25, a day after Meneley was ousted from office.

Good didn't return a phone call seeking comment Thursday.

Besides Good and Meneley, others who have left the sheriff's department as
a result of the drug scandal are Oblander, who resigned Feb. 26, 1999, and
Undersheriff Bill Huffmier, who was fired the same day Meneley was ousted.