Published: October 05, 2009 07:18 pm      

Extortion case against trooper tossed

jACKSON — A Holmes County judge has thrown out an extortion indictment against a Mississippi state trooper, who says he hopes he will soon be able to return to work.

Because the state neither got an arrest warrant for Sgt. Johnny Delaney of Cruger nor held a required hearing to decide whether there was enough evidence to charge him, it cannot indict him again, Judge Jannie Lewis ruled Friday.

Delaney, a trooper since 1984, denied allegations that he demanded money to fix a ticket.

“When it first came out in December, it was said I was dismissing tickets. That did not happen,” he said.

“I stood on the word of God throughout the whole ordeal,” Delaney said Friday, after Lewis ruled. “The Bible says, ’You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”’

He said he hopes to get back his job soon.

Jon Kalahar, spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety, says Delaney is still on administrative leave without pay.

“The ruling is being appealed,” Assistant District Attorney Steven Waldrup said.

State Rep. Ed Blackmon Jr. of Canton, one of Delaney’s attorneys, said the state’s case is weak. “We were hoping they wouldn’t appeal since Johnny has been off work nine months without pay,” Blackmon said.

Since being suspended, Delaney has worked for C&B Enterprises, as a school security guard in Holmes County and as a police officer in Tchula.

A radio minister, he is also is the manager of a gospel musical group, “The Fantastic Violin Notes.”

A Holmes County grand jury indicted Delaney in December, accusing him of accepting money on Sept. 30, 2008, to dismiss a traffic citation.

Blackmon said Delaney allegedly took $100. But Delaney had indicated he would not dismiss the ticket under any circumstances, Blackmon said.

Blackmon said if Delaney has made a mistake, it would be accepting food offerings for his ministry. He said the ticketed individual offered to give Delaney $100 to buy two boxes of fish for the ministry.