Ethics commission finds Meade County jailer in violation of ethics ordinance, but issues no fine

The Meade County Ethics Commission reviewed an ethics complaint filed against Meade County Jailer J.J. Scarborough during a hearing Tuesday night.

Attorney Peter Hill served as legal advisor to the ethics commission during the hearing. He said the complaint alleged three violations of the standards of conduct section of the county’s ethics ordinance.

“The sum, kind of the essence of the complaint, was that there was a conflict of interest by the current jailer, J.J. Scarborough, because of a relationship he had with an employee within the jail, and that led to unwarranted advantages and other things that would violate the ethics ordinance,” Hill said.

Scarborough and the complainant were each represented by legal counsel at the hearing, with both sides submitting evidence and calling witnesses. Hill said after deliberating the ethics commission sustained the complaint on one ground.

“The commission found that there was sufficient evidence that the respondent, the Meade County Jailer, had a direct or indirect financial or personal involvement that might reasonably be expected to impair his objectivity or independence of judgment,” Hill said.

Hill said the violation is of the reasonable man standard, meaning that there was no finding of an actual conflict of interest or actual seeking of an unwarranted advantage or privilege, but it would look to an outside observer that the actions would impair somebody’s objectivity.

Hill said the ethics commission has the authority to issue a monetary fine, and while Hill said he could not speak to the commission’s reasons they ultimately decided not to issue one.

“In looking at all the circumstances and the relative lack of evidence that in fact this relationship led to something bad for the county, no allegation that the county lost money, and plenty of evidence actually that the county jail is being fairly well run, especially its medical department is being fairly well run, the ethics commission (again, without reading their minds) may well have considered that evidence and concluded, ‘We’ve made a finding of a violation here. We’re not going to assess a civil penalty,’” Hill said.

Kentucky law says the Meade County Circuit Court has the authority to review the complaint. Scarborough was elected Meade County Jailer in 2014.