Barton County Sheriff Brian Bellendir’s jury trial on a misdemeanor charge on one count of mistreatment of a confined person will take place at 9 a.m. November 14th. The jury trial had been scheduled to take place on July 16th, but Bellendir says his attorney Jess Hoeme had a conflict with another case at that time and added that both he and the attorney felt more time was needed to prepare for the case.

Brian Bellendir Audio

When the trial finally takes place in November, it will have been over a year since Bellendir was charged for mistreating Nathan B. Manley while in handcuffs and striking the confined man on the side of his head on August 10, 2017. Bellendir was responding to a burglary that was reported at his daughter’s house and Manley was booked into jail that same day on a warrant. Following an investigation by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Bellendir was charged in October.

Brian Bellendir Audio

In Kansas, a Class-A misdemeanor is punishable by up to one year in jail with a fine of up to $2,500. A conviction could also mean desertification by the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers Standards and Training.