PORT ANGELES — A Clallam County Sheriff’s Department evidence technician was placed on paid administrative leave last week, and the State Patrol has been asked to investigate, Clallam County Administrator Jim Jones said.
Clallam County Sheriff Joe Martin, who will leave office in about a month, did not return calls seeking comment Friday and Saturday.
Jones said Martin asked the State Patrol to investigate Thursday to avoid a conflict of interest.
He said he wouldn’t give the evidence technician’s name or why the person was put on administrative leave because it was a personnel matter.
“At this point, to the best of my knowledge, it’s only a personnel action going on and nothing has been alleged,” Jones said.
But, Jones said, there apparently had been an “anomaly they think needs to be looked at.”
The removal of the employee and the request for an outside investigation comes almost exactly a year after Martin announced the firing of a deputy, the resignation of a sergeant, a resignation of an undersheriff and a reprimand of the department’s last commanding officer following allegations of inadequate supervision and misconduct.
After the Nov. 23, 2005, announcement, at least seven pending criminal cases were dismissed because prosecutors believed they had been compromised.
Clallam County Prosecuting Attorney Deborah Kelly said she was aware of the recent investigation, but declined to comment on whether criminal cases were being examined for the evidence technician’s involvement in handling evidence.
“The investigation is not complete,” Kelly said.
