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| Guarding Ohio Inmate May Cost $300,000 |
| By Dayton Daily News |
| Published: 06/05/2003 |
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Warren County commissioners recently said that taxpayers will pay $200,000 to $300,000 this year for around-the-clock officers for an ex-convict accused of killing his wife and then shooting himself in the face in a suicide attempt. Commissioner Mike Kilburn called a May 27 meeting with Warren County Sheriff Tom Ariss to discuss why the county since January has paid $100,000 for deputies to officer Rocky Lee Barton, 46. 'That is just flabbergasting to me,' Kilburn said. Barton is charged with murder, domestic violence and having weapons under disability stemming from a January shooting in which police said Barton killed his wife, Kim Jo Barton, 46, then turned the gun on himself. After being treated at Miami Valley Hospital for a self-inflicted shotgun blast into his chin, police transferred Barton to Dual Manor Health Care Center, a nursing home in Hamilton County. 'That's a thousand dollars a day to guard him,' Kilburn said. The commissioners asked if costs would drop if Barton were moved to the Warren County jail and a nurse were hired to provide Barton's care. If Barton were to be moved to the jail, Ariss said that Warren County would have to foot his medical bills, now paid by Medicaid. 'The (overtime) is cheaper,' he said. Ariss said the 24-hour guarding of Barton is necessary. 'He's a threat. He's mobile,' he said. 'He's a nasty sucker. He's mean.' Ariss said that Barton is scheduled for two more operations before he will be physically ready to stand trial. Trial date is Aug. 18. He faces the death penalty. 'But he will be able to go to trial,' Ariss assured the commissioners. Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzel said, 'We want the death penalty.' |
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