Story Archive

Busted!

Sandy York, the Town Clerk of Dalton, N.H., for more than 30 years, was arrested and charged with theft of town funds by Police Chief Mario Audit after a security video caught a view of York putting some cash in her purse. He assigned Lt. Chris St. Cyr, who is not an attorney, to act as prosecutor in the case. After being on leave for four months, York finally got her day in court. Her defense attorney asked Audit if he had audited the books to see if any money was missing. No. Did he ask York what she was doing with the money? No. In fact, neither he nor any other town official ever questioned her, or gave her the opportunity to explain. Every other witness in the case knew what was going on: official after official testified that York was simply taking a large bill to the bank to break it down into smaller bills to make change, just as she and her staff had done for years, and had brought that change back and put it into the register, just as she always does. The deputy town clerk testified that she checked the next day, and no cash was missing. “This case never should have been brought to trial,” declared her attorney. “No crime was ever committed.” District Court Judge Paul D. Dejardans declared York not guilty. (RC/New Hampshire Union Leader) ...Calling Audit “incompetent” would be an insult to incompetent cops.