LOCAL NEWS
LOCAL PETITION SUPPORTS COSTELLO
By John Axtell
Jul 2, 2009 - 8:35:11 PM

     71 Sioux County residents have signed a petition supporting former Sheriff James Costello's appeal of his two misdemeanor convictions for filing a false stolen vehicle.

      The petition says Costello...who resigned as sheriff effective this week...was not allowed to submit all the evidence on his behalf, was not granted a fair trial, and should have a new trial.

       Costello has filed an appeal of the convictions for false reporting and abuse of public records. Judge Randin Roland of Sidney...who presided over the trial in Dawes County Court...will hear arguments on the appeal in 3 weeks on the 21st, just before he's scheduled to sentence Costello.

     Special prosecutor Doug Warner...the former Scotts Bluff County Attorney who is now an assistant Attorney General...argued during the trial that Costello had filed the stolen vehicle report to get revenge on his ex-son-in-law, who'd been awarded the vehicle in his divorce.

      The defense argued that the sheriff was simply handling a citizen complaint that happened to come from his daughter, who'd been told by a finance company that the pickup was missing and the judge in the divorce case wanted it found.
    



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