First day of sheriff’s trial focuses on cell phone
Tuesday is Day 2 of the trial for Jefferson County Sheriff Blair Olsen, and testimony continued to focus on the cell phone paid by the county that was in possession of Olsen’s wife.
Olsen is facing three felony charges of misusing public money. He is also accused of intimidating witnesses, which Olsen denies.
First on the stand was Marla Hurst, who worked for Jefferson County Accounts Receivables for 17 years.
She was asked if the coroner, prosecuting attorney or clerk had cell phones paid for by the county.
She said they did not.
Hurst said she was given a document showing Marie Olsen had the county-paid cell phone, and commissioners continued to approve the bill.
Next up was Debbie Karen, a former commissioner.
“I went to the sheriff’s office, and he explained to me that it was his backup phone,” said Karen. “His wife had the phone to keep it charged and keep it accessible to him. That made perfect sense to me rather than having it stored in a desk somewhere.”
Then the state asked Karen if she remembered telling the investigator from the state attorney general’s office she did not condone use of the cell phone.
Karen said she didn’t recall.
The recording of the conversation was played in court.
Jefferson County created a cell phone policy in July 2012, but Karen said it doesn’t refer to backups or people who do not work for the county.
The third witness, County Commission Chairman Jerald Raymond, said he didn’t talk to Marie Olsen about her usage of the phone, but he did accept the sheriff’s explanation.
The state’s prosecution team called the primary investigator from the state attorney general’s office to testify.
Michael Steen contradicted what the defense had said about the phone.
“In the records I reviewed, which was about five years worth of records, I only found about one communication between the main sheriff’s office and Marie Olsen’s cell phone, and that was a phone call from Marie to dispatch,” he said. “I didn’t find any from dispatch to Marie.”
When Marie Olsen took the stand, she described her use of the phone as “less than normal.”
The trial is taking place in Twin Falls County to ensure fairness.
