A long-running and complex dispute between two candidates for the McDonald County (Mo.) sheriff’s position has claimed its first casualty—former 911 dispatcher Brian Massa has pleaded guilty in county court to one count of misusing official information. The incident dates back to at least July 2007, when a 911 call was recorded from Tammy Sutherland, claiming her husband Jeff was outside firing off his duty weapon—Jeff was a McDonald County sheriff’s deputy. Then in 2008 Jeff Sutherland ran for sheriff, and according to the Sutherlands, Lisa McCool, the 911 center director, illegally released the logging tape of that 2007 call, allegedly as a way to discredit his run for sheriff against the son of a county 911 board member. In Oct. 2008 Massa was arrested and charged with running Tammy’s driver’s license illegally (allegedly suspended, and that information was allegedly distributed by Massa). In fact, Tammy Sutherland said, “My driver’s license has never been suspended for any reason whatsoever.” Jeff Sutherland lost the Nov. 2008 election, and then filed a federal lawsuit (pdf) alleging invasion of privacy and equal protection violations by McCool, Massa and others. The criminal case has been pending, and the civil lawsuit is proceeding through the federal process. On Tuesday Massa pleaded guility to the misdemeanor charge, and now faces up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
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