Colorado Prosecutors Ask To Drop Charges Against Ex-Sheriff
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Prosecutors in Colorado have decided to drop all charges against a former sheriff accused of abusing his power after two juries deadlocked on some of the allegations.
Prosecutors decided to re-try former El Paso County sheriff Terry Maketa after a jury in July found him not guilty on several charges and deadlocked on others, including felony extortion.
The second trial ended on Feb. 5 when jurors acquitted Maketa of two counts of official misconduct and deadlocked on extortion charges.
Prosecutors on Friday asked to dismiss all charges and said they respect jurors' decisions.
Maketa was accused of threatening to end a $5.3 million contract with the county jail's health provider if it did not fire an employee who refused to support a favorite of Maketa's to succeed him as sheriff.
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