Jury selection for Johnson County Deputy Glenda Morrison, who is the wife of Johnson County Sheriff Jimmy Dorney, was delayed Thursday (Oct. 17) after the inability to locate a court reporter.
Judge John Cole was called in specially to preside over this case. Scheduling a court reporter to appear with him was overlooked, and after a 30 minute delay it was decided the courts would not be able to bring one in.
Judge Cole dismissed the 174 jurors summoned Thursday and ordered them not to discuss the case with anyone. Cole said jurors will receive a letter in the mail informing them of the new, yet to be decided summons date.
Morrison was arrested in February on a perjury charge. The charge stems from a court case involving a Johnson County man who was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his mother on October 10, 2012.
Morrison was serving as a bailiff during the first degree murder trial of Tommy Bowden, according to court documents. On Oct. 15, Prosecuting Attorney David Gibbons informed Judge William Pearson he had information that Morrison directly addressed the jurors about ‘Bowden’s out of court behavior and certain security arrangements which were in place to protect the jurors’ from the man, court documents state.
Morrison claimed under oath she did not have direct communication with the jurors.
Jurors later told authorities Morrison said Bowden had something on his left that could be used to calm him down if he acted up, according to court documents. Bowden was wearing a shock belt when he returned for sentencing that day.
Morrison was placed on paid administrative leave with the department, but the sheriff’s office said she has been back to work since approximately two weeks after the arrest.
