CHARLESTON — Franklin County has a brand new sheriff to interchange one convicted of two federal felonies final month.
The Franklin County Quorum Court docket on Thursday voted 8-0 to nominate Rickey Denton, 61, as sheriff efficient instantly, in line with the county choose’s workplace. magistrate Carolyn McCain was absent.
Denton, a retired Arkansas State Police officer with greater than 4 a long time in regulation enforcement, will serve what’s left of former sheriff Anthony Boen’s four-year time period, which expires Dec. 31, 2022. Nevertheless, the county choose’s workplace confirmed Denton will not be capable of run for the place within the 2022 election.
Denton did not return a message requesting remark by deadline Friday.
Denton had served as Franklin County’s undersheriff since July 2020 till Thursday.
Boen, 51, who had served as sheriff since 2011, was indicted within the U.S. District Court docket in Fort Smith on three counts of deprivation of rights underneath shade of regulation in November 2019. The costs stemmed from three reported use-of-force incidents in opposition to detainees leading to accidents between 2017 and 2018.
Boen was forbidden from getting into the Sheriff’s Workplace and stripped of just about all of his duties as one of many circumstances of his launch from custody whereas awaiting trial, though he continued to attract his annual wage of $45,183.
A jury convicted Boen on two of the fees and acquitted him on a 3rd Aug. 9. U.S. District Choose Timothy L. Brooks dominated Boen could be in custody earlier than sentencing resulting from being convicted of felony violent offenses that injured his victims.
A listening to relating to Boen’s removing from workplace was held Aug. 27 after Jeff Phillips, prosecutor for Franklin, Johnson and Pope counties, filed a petition in Franklin County Circuit Court docket to start Boen’s removing on Aug. 12, in line with courtroom data. Boen, who appeared through Zoom, did not object to an order of everlasting removing being entered. The courtroom eliminated Boen in a consent judgment Circuit Choose James Dunham signed that was filed Aug. 30.
The Quorum Court docket declared a emptiness within the sheriff’s place throughout a particular assembly Sept. 2.
The motion said justices of the peace would take nominations for attainable replacements from the general public till 4:30 p.m. that day after which vote Thursday to nominate somebody as sheriff. Nevertheless, County Choose Rickey Bowman mentioned Denton was the one one who confirmed curiosity, after which the Quorum Court docket ceased nominations.
Denton’s yearly wage as sheriff shall be $49,183, in line with the County Clerk’s Workplace. His wage as undersheriff was $40,588.
Christopher Brockett, county lawyer, mentioned along with appointing Denton, the Quorum Court docket permitted on Thursday growing the wage for the sheriff’s place by $4,000. This put the wage according to elected officers, who, apart from the sheriff, acquired raises through the funds course of for this yr.
The Quorum Court docket additionally terminated the undersheriff place and reinstated the chief deputy place within the Sheriff’s Workplace, in line with Brockett.
Extra Information
Inhabitants
Franklin County had a inhabitants of 17,097 as of April 1, 2020.
Supply: U.S. Census Bureau
