$700 steak dinners for jurors leave bad taste in commissioners’ mouths

Dent County commissioners are questioning parts of a $25,444.58 bill it received from Phelps County for the Donald “Doc” Nash capital murder jury trial, including expensive dinners at some of the area’s finest restaurants.
At issue are a $12,935.55 bill for guard duty, a $7,633.45 bill from Comfort Suites and meal invoices that included trips from Rolla to Waynesville and St. James to eat dinner. Those dinners included 20-ounce steaks and Lobster Rangoon.
The meal invoices included bills of $713.53 from Matt’s Steakhouse in Rolla, $674.40 from Sybil’s in St. James and $525.18 from The Hubb in Waynesville, all some of the area’s finest restaurants.
“Are any efforts made to control trial expenses in Phelps County?” Dent County commissioners asked in a letter faxed to the Phelps County Commission. “Are all juries in Phelps County treated as sumptuously as our change of venue?”
Dent County Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said Wednesday that commissioners don’t want to take anything away from a jury, but says counties need to remember that they are spending taxpayers’ dollars.
“We’re not trying to get out of paying what we owe because we want to pay every penny of what we owe,” said Skiles. “What we don’t want is to pay a penny of what we don’t owe.”
Dent County commissioners a few months ago discussed with Dent County Sheriff Rick Stallings the need to take excellent care of juries, whether for a Dent County trial or a change of venue trial. But at the same time they say there is a need to exercise diligence and prudence in spending taxpayers’ dollars.
After discussing the bill from the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, commissioners voted 3-0 Dec. 31 to make a partial payment of $10,000, an amount budgeted in 2009 for trial expenses. They also sent a letter saying the remaining balance will be paid out of the 2010 budget after reconciliation differences.
The bill from Comfort Suites, where the jury was sequestered before finding Nash guilty of the murder of Judy Spencer, was for $7,633.45.
Dent County commissioners said they added the invoiced amounts of the bills and their total is $7,224.45, a difference of $409. Also, Dent County commissioners said the bill shows charges for state taxes of $464.95 that shouldn’t be on the bill because counties don’t pay state taxes.
Skiles said Phelps County has agreed to take the state taxes off the bill. Phelps County also contacted the hotel, and the $409 was for “snacks and refreshments,” they said.
Bills showed 10 officers were on duty from Oct. 22-29, the duration of the sequestering of the 14 Crawford County jurors and alternates. Three officers were also paid mileage. Judge Douglas Long Jr., who was appointed by the Missouri Supreme Court to hear the change of venue case, signed off on the officers’ hours.
Commissioners asked why there were so many hours charged at overtime rates for guard duty pay. Commissioners said two officers had 77 and 79 overtime hours each, on top of 40 hours each of regular time. Four other officers drew 11 hours overtime each with no hours of regular time.
“Are we to believe that officers couldn’t be scheduled to work this trial without amassing these incredible overtime hours, costing $20-$25 an hour?” Dent County commissioners asked in the letter sent to Phelps County.
Skiles said Dent County is “following up” on the bills for guard duty.
The bill from Matt’s Steakhouse included approximately $100 in appetizers, $400 for 16, 10-ounce KC strip steaks and bills from Sybill’s that included lobster Rangoon and 20-ounce steaks.
“Matt’s Steakhouse, Sybill’s in St. James and The Hubb in Waynesville are all great places to enjoy an exquisite meal, we agree, however, as stewards of the taxpayers’ dollars we find it difficult to justify the expense of 16- and 20-ounce steak dinners, lobster Rangoon, appetizers, etc.,” Dent County commissioners said in their letter. “And with the fine dining establishments in Rolla, why was the jury and court personnel transported to Waynesville for dinner, increasing trial expenses even more?”
Andy Davis, public information officer for the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, said Wednesday that jury meals are set up by the court, and the sheriff’s department bailiffs follow those arrangements.
Bailiffs are in charge of the juries while they are having lunch and dinner meals, he said.
Davis said that in Phelps County there is a rotating schedule for jury meals. He said juries are usually fed at a restaurant where they can be separated from the public to avoid any charges of tampering or outside influence.
Stallings said his department also tries to keep jurors in a private setting.
The jury duty bill is the second one received by Dent County in the last two years.
In April 2007, the county commission was presented with a $30,000 bill from the Earl Forrest jury trial held in Platte County in 2004. After some discussion, the county commission negotiated a final payment with Platte County for $9,351.02.

Judges decide where juries eat dinner, circuit clerk says

While Dent County Commissioners are upset with Phelps County officials over a recent $25,000 bill for expenses incurred during a seven-day murder trial, Presiding Commissioner Randy Verkamp says there was nothing unusual about the costs for the trial.
Verkamp said Tuesday that it was totally up to the judge’s discretion as to what dinners the jury received and that snacks and refreshments were allowed a the hotel where they were sequestered. Verkamp added that it is his understanding that restaurants are generally chosen by the judge where they are able to keep the jury away from the general public and pointed out that it wasn’t up to the county commission to get involved in such matters.
Circuit Clerk Sue Brown agreed with Verkamp.
“You have to have a place you can take them that is a separate, secure location,” she said. “They spend eight to nine hours in the courtroom. They get breakfast at the motels, and are released into the jury room for lunch. The judges feel that they deserve a good meal. Not a great meal, mind you, but to be able to relax and get what they want.”
Brown added that jurors only get $6 per day for their service.
“The judges want it to be a little more than sandwiches or something,” she said. “That doesn’t mean to go to the most expensive places and get the most expensive meals. Security is a lot of that. Generally, restaurants with separate rooms are more expensive. There isn’t really a limit to what they can get. Jurors are not expected to bring anything. You are to provide for them.”
Brown said that any snacks or refreshments jurors receive at a motel are provided at the county’s expense and that it is entirely the decision of the judges as to where jurors eat when they are sequestered.