Ex-Klamath sheriff denied access to grand jury notes

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. (AP) – Former Klamath County Sheriff Frank Skrah has been denied access to notes from his grand jury indictment just weeks before he is set to go to trial for misdemeanor charges.

The Herald and News reported (http://bit.ly/2jcy3TX ) Wednesday that a judge ruled that Skrah can’t see the grand jury notes, despite an argument by his attorneys that they may contain exculpatory information.

In Oregon, grand jury notes are considered confidential but may be unclassified in some circumstances.

Skrah was indicted in September 2015 on nine misdemeanor counts related to three instances of alleged excessive use of force and one instance of alleged neglect of property owner’s rights related to his role as sheriff. He is scheduled to stand trial Feb. 8.