Grand jury hears testimony about Whitley Co. Jail

A grand jury looking into allegations concerning the Whitley County Jail heard nearly three and half-hours of testimony Tuesday afternoon.
“The grand jury met today. We heard from numerous witnesses obviously, and we have wrapped up our business for today,” said special prosecutor Eddie Montgomery about 4:30 p.m.
The grand jury will issue its monthly report Monday morning, but whether the grand jury issues a report concerning the jail investigation remains to be seen.
Montgomery confirmed that 31 witnesses were subpoenaed to testify Tuesday, but that the grand jury didn’t hear from everyone.
He declined to comment on whether the grand jury would issue a final report in regards to the investigation Monday, or whether the grand jury would be coming back to hear additional testimony regarding the case at a later date.
Among the witnesses subpoenaed Tuesday were several law enforcement officers, former jail employees, and people who appeared to be state officials out of Frankfort.
Officials with the Kentucky State Police Special Investigations Division have been investigating the case, and Montgomery’s office has apparently been in contact with Department of Corrections officials, who closed the jail on July 23.
State officials cited an “unwillingness to change the status quo” by Jailer Jerry Taylor and his staff as part of the reason for filing suit last month in Frankfort to close the Whitley County Jail.
“Taylor’s malfeasance in office and disregard of Department of Corrections directives, applicable law and regulations poses an imminent threat to the safety of inmates, staff and the public at large, so that immediate, irreparable injury will be sustained if the Whitley County Detention Center is permitted to remain open,” correction’s officials wrote in the lawsuit.
The last time a Whitley County Grand Jury looked into allegations involving Taylor was in 1995, the year after he lost a bid to be re-elected judge-executive.
Nearly 20 witnesses appeared before the grand jury over two full days of testimony spanning two months in the fall of 1995 before deciding to issue no indictments.
Allegations reportedly presented to the grand jury involved county bridges that were allegedly built on private property by county officials during Taylor’s administration.