Attorney General Chris Koster has filed a petition known as a quo warranto to remove Christian County Assessor Sandra Bryant-Littles from her elected position.
Last October Bryant-Littles was arrested at her office after a grand jury returned a sealed indictment alleging that she had committed 4 counts of mail fraud and failed to accurately assess she and her husband's personal property.
Since Christian County Associate Circuit Judge Mark Orr has recused himself from the case the state Supreme Court will have to appoint a special judge to rule on the petition.
The spokeswoman for the AG's office Nanci Gonder says that judge will then decide if Bryant-Littles should immediately be removed from office or if it would be in a determined amount of day-- usually 10 days or less after rulings.
Last October Bryant-Littles was arrested at her office after a grand jury returned a sealed indictment alleging that she had committed 4 counts of mail fraud and failed to accurately assess she and her husband's personal property.
Since Christian County Associate Circuit Judge Mark Orr has recused himself from the case the state Supreme Court will have to appoint a special judge to rule on the petition.
The spokeswoman for the AG's office Nanci Gonder says that judge will then decide if Bryant-Littles should immediately be removed from office or if it would be in a determined amount of day-- usually 10 days or less after rulings.
Gonder said Koster decided to proceed with the petition because evidence indicates that Bryant-Littles violated her oath of office to assess all personal property by failing to assess her own.
The attorney general’s petition states that “During an investigation, (Bryant-Littles) admitted she was aware of these inaccuracies and discrepancies and knowingly submitted assessment lists that she knew to be false and incomplete.”
For that reason, the petition reads, the Bryant-Littles’ “violation of her oath of office and known duties results in the ‘automatic forfeiture of (her) office,’” and her “misconduct in the instant case mandates her removal from office.”
Bryant-Littles and her husband, Lonnie Utah Littles, own Poco Cala Ranch in Clever. Lonnie Littles and a ranch hand of the couples, Jesse Rice were indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to commit bank fraud for an allegedly scheme to bilk the Little's insurance company for a bogus cattle theft in February of 2009.
Lonnie Littles is also facing two federal charges of bank fraud.
Jesse Rice pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud on February 11, 2010. He is currently awaiting sentencing.
Bryant-Littles and Lonnie Littles pleaded not guilty to the charges filed against them in November. Their trials are scheduled for late April.
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