tagged w/ Inmates
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"Former female inmates of the Custer County jail testified Wednesday that ex-Sheriff Mike Burgess demanded sex from them in exchange for his help in getting them into a drug court rehabilitation program.
The inmates testified on the second day of a preliminary hearing that will determine whether Burgess, 55, is held over for trial on 35 felony charges that accuse him of rape and other inappropriate sexual behavior with female inmates.
Burgess was a member of a drug court panel that decides which offenders are allowed into the rehabilitation program and which offenders are sent to prison.
One former inmate testified that Burgess ordered her to perform sexual acts on him in his office, and also picked her up at her home, drove her to a remote location and demanded sex.
Another woman testified that Burgess visited her at motel rooms and demanded sex. "I just tried to black out the whole thing. It was bad," the woman said.
A third female inmate testified that Burgess gave her alcohol and then had sex with her multiple times during trips to Oklahoma City to promote the drug court program.
She told prosecuting attorneys she was afraid not to have sex with him.
"I would have gone to prison if I hadn't," she said.
The Associated Press typically does not identify victims of sexual assault.
Among the felony charges Burgess is facing are 14 counts of second-degree rape, seven counts of forcible oral sodomy and five counts of bribery by a public official.
His attorneys maintain he is innocent. Burgess resigned as sheriff in April from the position he had held since 1994.
On Tuesday, a former deputy testified that Burgess groped her and grabbed her buttocks several times while she was employed at the sheriff's office.
Jennifer Tyler, now a deputy in the state of Washington, testified that when she was being fitted for a uniform the sheriff put his hand down the back of the trousers and touched her waistline and buttocks.
Evidence against Burgess surfaced in a federal court lawsuit filed on behalf of 12 former jail inmates that alleged sheriff's employees had them engage in wet T-shirt contests and offered cigarettes to women who would flash their breasts.
The lawsuit filed last year claims Burgess told one drug court participant he would have her sent to prison if she didn't comply with his sexual demands. " "Former female inmates of the Custer County jail testified Wednesday that... more
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We've all heard about the firefighters who have come from all over to help fight the California wildfires that have been raging for over a month, but there are a large group of firefighters that we haven't heard much about, and they are the main ones fighting the fires.
Prison inmates have been taught firefighting skills and are working in great numbers to contain all of these fires that are breaking out. These low-security inmates are getting obvious confidence and joy from being given a chance to contribute positively to the community.We've all heard about the firefighters who have come from all over to help fight... more
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