Every day brings a new twist to the public office known as the Marion County Coroner's office. Today, Marion Co. Prosecutor Carl Brizzi has obtained the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate an employee of the office for possible criminal activity. Barry Brown, the former Monroe County Prosecutor who earlier this year filed charges against City-County Councilor Ron Gibson (D), has been appointed to handle the task. The Star's Jon Murray reports:
A special prosecutor was appointed Wednesday to investigate possible criminal activity by an employee who works at the Marion County coroner's office.Murray's report, which does not specifically identify the person being investigated or the crime the employee allegedly committed, notes that the prosecutor's office has been investigating the coroner's office for thefts, alteration of property records and mishandling of bodies. An AI source has also alleged ghost employment and improper referrals to a private autopsy company. Murray also draws attention to Ackles' current counsel, Ralph Staples, a former member of Brizzi's prosecutorial staff who left under a cloud revolving around his former relationship with a paralegal in the office.
Marion Superior Court Presiding Judge Cale Bradford appointed former Monroe County prosecutor Barry Brown, who has handled several politically sensitive cases for Marion County. Among them: investigations of City Councilman Ron Gibson, charged with assaulting a police officer, and Heather Bolejack, the former executive director of the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, who was not charged with wrongdoing.
Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi requested the appointment to avoid the appearance of impropriety, since he and Coroner Kenneth Ackles are elected officials and work together in criminal cases, his written request states.
A spokeswoman said the coroner's office investigation was of one person, but she would not specify allegations. The person under investigation was not identified.
"We are asking Mr. Brown to look at the information and decide whether criminal activity involving an employee at the Marion County coroner's office has occurred," said Helen Marchal, Brizzi's chief counsel.
Ralph Staples, an attorney for Ackles, said he did not know the allegations at issue. If an employee is prosecuted, he said, Ackles would take appropriate action.
Since earlier this year, Brizzi's grand jury division has been investigating allegations gainst the coroner's office. They include thefts, mishandling of bodies and improper ecord keeping. In September, investigators served a search warrant on the coroner's office, 521 W. McCarty St., and seized seven death investigation files.
Brown has served as special prosecutor in several local cases, including one involving Staples in 2003, when he was supervisor of felony prosecutions for the prosecutor's office. Brown investigated accusations related to Staples' breakup with a paralegal who also worked for the office, but declined to file charges.
More drama than any soap opera.
ReplyDeleteStaples must be desperate for $$$. An attorney of his league would not go so low as to represent a moron & loser like Ackles without a big (giant) retainer!
ReplyDeleteBut then, is Staples accepting county $$$ or money made from the stolen property off dead people & stolen equipment from the coroner's office???
Inquiring minds want to know!
Anonymous 11:50 PM
ReplyDeleteWrong, why does Staples have to be desparate to represent the coroner. Both Dr. Ackles and Atty. Staples are qualified African American professionals. The local media and the prosecuotr should be more thorough reporting the corruption of Mayor Peterson's appointees and other Democrat officeholders, like Car Drummer in the Center Township Trustee's office.
Dr. Ackles is qualified--for what? Three years at a hack chiro school qualify you to crack bones, and that's about it.
ReplyDeleteHe's shown he has the social graces of a mad cow. So he's not qualified at that.
Just wondering...
Anon 3:48, Qualified? Qualified? Some lame chiropractic degree years ago, no respect from the forensice community, no management skills, and a Deptuy that is destroying what was once the most highly respected Coroner's office and Pathology Dept. in the state? Gimme a break. All the problems have started since Ackles took over, railroaded John Linehan and replaced him with someone who is way UNDERQUALIFIED. And stop already with the whiny minority crap. To paraphrase the great Dr. King, it has absolutely nothing to do with the color of their skin, and ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING to do with the CONTENT OF THEIR CHARACTER. Ackles has made his bed, now he needs to lie in it............
ReplyDeletePolitics makes strange bedfellows - Jocelyn Tandy is now anonymously busy defending poor Kenny Ackles here and elsewhere - he's a goner now politically - everybody she backs loses.
ReplyDeleteFor that matter, Darla Y. Wlliams was Dr. Ackles' attorney as he was taking over his new elective office.
If I see one more Darla or Jocelyn link in a post here, so help me, I'm gonna go ballistic.
ReplyDeleteAs Judy Judy says (that bitch rocks): Put a period at the end and move on.
Barry Brown is a good prosecutor. Fair. That's why he indicted Ron Gibson. Gibby deserved it.
And it's why he passed on Heather...there jsut wasn't enough criminal evidence.
He'll get to the bottom of this mess.
"Ralph Staples, an attorney for Ackles, said he did not know the allegations at issue. If an employee is prosecuted, he said, Ackles would take appropriate action."
ReplyDeleteWould appropriate action mean a promotion??
Kinda tough to take action against a retired IPD officer that you personally were responsible for hiring, and then covering up his thefts for over a year by firing the Chief Deputy who wanted him prosecuted and terminated. Ackles is an idiot......
ReplyDeleteGood ole Dr. Carter got her provisional medical license from the state this morning.
ReplyDeleteIs this an evil Mitch plan to push Democrats over the edge, knowing full well this is one train wreck after another waiting to happen? just kidding (I think)
Remember when I said Dr. Ackles was going to throw us all under the train? Well, its in town now, courtesy of Dr. Joye Carter.......Another unqualified, disreputable, female minority joins the team with Dr. Ackles and Alfarena Ballew....God help us all!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSix Hoosier doctors gave Dr. Carter a fully qualified license - nothing "provisional" about it. It's sad to see the racists here throwing mud already at this Black woman doctor. A single photo showing her dark face is enough for them to quickly judge her 'unqualified' -- pitiful!
ReplyDeleteYep. Wilson has that Michael Jackson thing going on. Black man with white skin. Bring some little kiddies around for him to play with and he'd have the complete package.
ReplyDeleteOnce again-- another direct personal slur.. can't you people argue with facts and stats?
ReplyDeleteHey wilson 46201, you have zero clue about all the problems occurring with Ackles, his Chief Deputy, his buddy John Martin, and now a "pathologist" who hasn't been employed in the role of medical examiner for over 4 years and has a less than stellar record in previous offices......But you're a typical Democrat, as soon as someone questions the qualifications or character of an African American, you scream racism....None of those 3 aforementioned individuals should be serving this county...Just watch the problems with Ackles at MCCO will just continue to mount. He expects one pathologist(Carter) to be able to handle the case load that 3 well respected pathologists could barely keep up. God help the families of our decedents, its those people who will suffer the most.
ReplyDeleteHey folks, FYI, just read on indystar.com that the good Dr. Carter intends to remain in her private consulting business but to cut back a little to "Assist" the coroner and also intends to be able to take care of her ailing mother who she is moving with her from Virginia. Tell me, when is she going to work at MCCO. With PAI, we were doing autopsies 6 days a week, sometimes up to 10 a day people. Sound like a work load one person can handle on a part-time basis while they tend to other matters? "Assisting the coroner" sounds more like "Being given a job I'm really not qualified to handle alone but since I'm a female minority, who can I really hurt in all this?" I'm telling you, the MCCO will have a backlog in cases so big by spring it will make your head spin.......Don't say we didn't warn ya.
ReplyDeleteTypical example of the mismanagement that is occurring everyday at MCCO. Now Dr. Ackles thinks one person can take over the work load of 3 pathologists. UNREAL! FYI, body found 7700 East 42nd St. Signs of trauma. will there be an autopsy? When? Where? Will the files be correct? Dr. Ackles says he doesn't have to tell us any of these answers, he's the coroner!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHey, coronerinsider. (oooooooooh!!! Do you hear that?) Listen carefully, and you can hear the sound of ghost employment. Wait, don't worry about it...cause he's the fucking coroner!
ReplyDeletecoronerinsider--I wouldn't worry too much about the backlog. I mean after all, John Martin is a deputy coroner and as soon as he stops being the secretary's roadie he can help Ackles out.
ReplyDeleteWe've been hearing that sound for sometime. Now it appears its more like a ROAR than a quiet whisper when it all started last fall. At least I do work for my check, not to be said for all those "employees" at MCCO.
ReplyDeleteDeputy Coroner by who's standards? Certainly not those of the Indiana State Coroner's Training Board. Getting a shiny badge from your buddy Ackles does not qualify you by our state's standards. Check with Lisa Barker at ISCTB, he probably didnt pass the exam to be certified....The most he knows about death investigations is that dead people don't tell about all the property he takes from them.
ReplyDeleteBut his buddy Ackles gave him the badge and he's the fucking coroner.
ReplyDeleteFox 59 just reported that Ackles is going to offer Carter a 4 or 5 year contract. Funny since he only has 2 years left in office! Also, she says she's going to hire additional pathologists to help her out. Who's she gonna get to come here. I know, more minorities with questionable backgrounds like hers. Pay attention, Billie Elkins will soon join the MCCO. He runs Indiana Autopsy, a private firm that happens to be in the tissue donation business. Can anyone say conflict of interest? I'm sorry, was that racist too?
ReplyDeleteThings are getting hairy, but good things come to those who wait. I've a sneaking suspicion that things will work out and Quackles will not serve a second term. In the meantime, there will continue to be stories to discuss.
ReplyDeleteAs for the race issue, wow. Its amazing what a person can get away with as long as when they get caught, the scream racism. Has anyone considered the aspect of the blatant reverse discrimination? If you want to fire FPAI for no good reason, I can't really say much about that. But if you intend on replacing those well qualified, highly trained, and not to mention RESPECTED members of the investigative community with under qualified "professionals" of ill repute who have had their names dragged through the mud for good reason, well, I just can't support that. If the FPAI doctors were black and were being replaced by white folks, you bet your sweet ass there would be a riot. So why the double standard?
Also, if employees of MCCO are being investigated, shouldn't they be put on admin leave? Just curious...
No one should be surprised that Dr. Carver got a license. What other choice did the county have? Let her hang herself. Just pray that no death invests are compromised to the effect that lives are endangered.
AI: Stay tuned...I do believe that MCCO will implode and only the strong and worthy will be left standing when the dust settles. Its just a matter of time, so please be patient and keep the stories coming. Thank you for your coverage of these issues. This debacle had been going on for far too long without adequate reporting. KUDOS!
Ignorance is bliss for some people. Bloggers list your credentials.
ReplyDeleteThere seems to be quite a few incompetent officeholders elected by the Democrats. What's new? At least Dr. Ackles and Atty. Staples are two college graduates from credible universities, while some of the others are high school dropouts.
I wonder who the dropouts are. Who has the answer?
African Americans are not handed their academic credentials on silver platters like the privileged few are, they earn them!
Wilson you need to quit it! go paly with yourself and take a bath while you are at it! You stink.
ReplyDeleteNow that Jocelyn has finally graduated from college at the age of what? 50? 55? she is now using her edumacation against others. It's just a matter of time until she defaults on those college loans too - she's such a known deadbeat...
ReplyDeleteWilson, once again you choose to voice your opinion. Fine, but at least know what you're talking about. You seem to have some delusional ideas that just because Carter, Ackles, Ballew et al are African American that we who voice our opposition to their poor leadership at MCCO are racists. I am so sick of whiny ass liberals playing the race card everytime someone criticizes a minority I could just puke all over your left-wing agenda. You don't work at MCCO, I do. So inform yourself better before you rant about racism, ya punk!
ReplyDeleteGary, do we have to continue ot be harranged with this Wilson-Jocelyn thing?
ReplyDeleteWorse than a Sicilian vendetta.
Quote: "African Americans are not handed their academic credentials on silver platters like the privileged few are, they earn them!
ReplyDelete"
Yeah, I suppose since you can go to med school at Howard University with a 2.0 GPA then sure, you guys work those credentials. Those of us without the cornrows had to produce a 3.9. Guess what they call the girl with the lowest GPA in her med school class at graduation....Doctor. I wouldn't let anyone from Howard cut on my dog. Power to the people.
Bravo coronerinsider!
ReplyDeleteFrom personal experience I can say Ackles, Ballew, and the four deiners they hired are irnorant and it has nothing to do with race.
anon 7:03, you say "those of us without the cornrows." When you throw that in with your argument, the first word that comes to mind is "racist."
ReplyDeleteYes, you're right--I find the black political machine in Marion County to be DEPLORABLE.
ReplyDelete