SHERIFF ABSENT FROM START OF OWN TRIAL

Ouster proceedings against Shawnee County Sheriff Dave Meneley amount
to an ongoing "Ken Starr investigation," a defense attorney says.

TOPEKA -- The ouster trial of Shawnee County Sheriff Dave Meneley
began Tuesday with Meneley nowhere in sight.

The sheriff's absence on the first day of his trial was made more
conspicuous by the many people who appeared and were prepared to
testify. The trial is a civil proceeding in Shawnee County District
Court to determine whether Meneley will be removed from office.

At one point, District Judges Matthew Dowd and Richard Anderson
allowed about 20 witnesses to leave until they are called to testify.

In May, Attorney General Carla Stovall filed a petition to remove
Meneley from office, alleging 13 counts of willful misconduct or moral
turpitude.

Eight counts are linked to cocaine missing from the sheriff's
department, while five allege Meneley improperly requested information
from criminal records.

The ouster trial is one of three cases involving Meneley, who has
served as sheriff for seven years. Stovall also has filed 20 criminal
charges against him, including counts of theft, misuse of public funds
and personal use of campaign funds.

Meneley is set to make his first appearance Jan. 26 on those
charges.

He also faces two counts of perjury. Those charges relate to testimony
he gave last year during a hearing in a drug case, in which he said he
did not know a deputy had used drugs.

Shawnee County District Attorney Joan Hamilton filed the perjury
charges in April. A preliminary hearing to determine whether the case
should go to trial started last week and will continue Jan. 27.

The ouster petition alleges that Meneley knew in 1995 that Timothy
Oblander, a sheriff's deputy at the time, used illegal drugs obtained
from the sheriff's office or bought drugs with law enforcement money.
Oblander has admitted using cocaine and methamphetamine.

Sheriff's Detective Daniel Jaramillo testified on Tuesday that Meneley
told him and a deputy in July 1995 that Oblander was addicted to
cocaine and had been using drugs purchased during undercover
investigations.

Also Tuesday, Meneley's attorney, Margie Phelps, contended the judges
should give Meneley immunity so he could testify without fear of
facing more perjury charges.

She described the attorney general's efforts to remove Meneley from
office as a "Ken Starr-type, ongoing, sweeping investigation."

The judges did not address Phelps' request.