Oblander resigned from the Shawnee County Sheriff's Department on Feb. 26. Late Tuesday, sheriff's Sgt. Meneley brought the statement to headquarters but wasn't available for comment, Royer said. Correll was the last witness to testify during six days of hearings to determine whether to dismiss drug charges against Topekan Carlos Hernandez and also to gather evidence in the larger picture of whether there is corruption and misconduct within the sheriff's department involving missing drugs. Meneley wasn't among them.
Most criminal hearings attract only five spectators or fewer.
But Rosen, who noted William Rork, Oblander's attorney, had objected to Correll's testifying about the treatment records, ordered Correll to testify. Correll sometimes hesitated in answering questions, looking at the judge before he responded. Meneley's alleged awareness of Oblander's drug use emerged Tuesday in a series of answers to small questions rather than one big question and answer. For about an hour, Correll fielded questions from District Attorney Joan Hamilton and Kris Savage, assistant public defender, about what happened during the 50-minute meeting between the sheriff, his deputy and the substance abuse counselor in July 1995. Until fall 1995, Correll, who said he is a recovering alcoholic, was a counselor at Valley Hope for five years.