What started out as a regular Barton County Commission meeting Monday turned into an all out attack on the Barton County Attorney’s Office.

After the regular agenda items were addressed rather quickly by the board, Denise Rankin addressed Commissioners concerning a recent case that involved her ex-husband Jeffrey Allen Rankin.

Rankin had originally faced 31 criminal charges that included rape and aggravated indecent liberties with a child, but as part of a plea agreement between Rankin’s attorney and Assistant County Attorney Doug Matthews, other charges in the case were dismissed.

Denise Rankin Audio

Rankin was accompanied by Derby Attorney Stacia Boden who informed Commissioners that she would be filing ethics complaints with the Kansas Attorney General’s Office and the Ethics Commission concerning the Rankin case.

Stacia Boden Audio

County Attorney Amy Mellor was in court and was unavailable for comment, but Mellor’s Assistant and former County Attorney Doug Matthews was summoned to speak to the allegations that Rankin and Boden brought forth.

Doug Matthews Audio

Besides the Rankin child molestation case, Commissioners also heard about the dismissal of charges Friday against Alejandro Azteca who had been charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery and criminal damage to property resulting from a May 21, 2016 shooting in Great Bend. Azteca was arrested in Minnesota and extradited back to Great Bend to face the charges that were eventually dismissed Friday. Azteca was released from the Barton County Jail on Friday as a free man.

Barton County Commissioners took no action on the allegations and a request to begin an investigation into the County Attorney’s Office.