Recall Effort Against Gage County Attorney Begins Gathering Signatures

By Gordon HopkinsWymore resident Kerri Barnard Jones has begun collecting signatures in an effort to recall Gage County Attorney Roger Harris. Jones filed the recall paperwork on Friday, March 13, 2024.In an email to FJN explaining why she was spearheading a recall, Jones said, “Roger Harris has failed Gage County over and over again. He has made Gage County the 'laughing stock' of Nebraska. Roger Harris should be recalled for professional negligence by breaching duties of the oath he swore to uphold. He does not represent the voice of his constituents.”Recently Harris has faced public criticism for not filing criminal charges against veterinarian Dr. Jennafer Glaesemann, who had been accused of neglecting horses at her veterinary clinics in Beatrice and Pickrell, where 17 horses died.Harris said he doubted he could prove a case against Dr. Glaesemann beyond a reasonable doubt, in part due to the presence of parvovirus, which had been detected in some of the horses. A press release on the matter pointed out, “This virus can result in a condition that is sometimes deadly to equine. Experts in animal husbandry have differing opinions about the diagnosis, cause and treatment of this virus making it very difficult to prove animal abuse by proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”However, Jones emphasized the matter of the horses is not the only reason for the recall effort. She also cited the death of Brooke Koch, age 40, of Blue Springs, who was killed on April 6, 2021. According to Gage County law enforcement, she was killed by her estranged partner, Jason Arnold, 49, who then killed himself.Arnold had been arrested previously and, according to Jones, “After the second arrest of Arnold, bond was posted and he was released.”“Letting repeat offenders go, not filing charges, not pursuing justice, the consequences are often seen by the victims,” Jones told FJN. “The Citizens of Gage County deserve an official who upholds the law and uses our county funds judiciously. Recall Roger Harris for accountability and to ensure justice prevails.”FJN reached out to Harris for his reaction to the recall effort. He did not respond as of press time.

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