Washington County Circuit Court Clerk Sarah Milligan entered a not-guilty plea this morning at her first hearing in Washington Superior Court since being arrested on Friday, Dec. 28 on five charges including illegal possession of a legend drug.
Milligan’s attorney Jennifer Lukemeyer petitioned the court to waive the formal reading of the charges. Washington County Prosecuting Attorney Dustin Houchin didn’t object to that.
Lukemeyer then entered a not-guilty plea on all charges.
Milligan’s attorney asked the court to allow for an extension of time to request a special prosecutor.
Special Judge John Evans of Harrison County agreed and extended the deadline to February 25.
Milligan requested modification of terms of release on bond to allow her to leave the state to travel to the Louisville Metro area.
Houchin had no objection and that request was granted.
Also Houchin said since there was probable cause to believe Milligan was intoxicated (that she failed the tests), he requested the court to send an immediate request to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles for a suspension of Milligan’s drivers license.
Houchin said that would take a couple of days to be put into effect.
A pre-trial conference has been set for April 26 at 9:30a. The trial has been tentatively set for June 4.
Milligan was originally arrested after an Indiana State Trooper observed her speeding on SR60 in Salem and also noticed the temporary tags on her vehicle were ripped.
She had been stopped by Officer Nigel Smith of the Salem City Police Department the previous night with no incident. He asked her to make sure the proper license plates were attached to the vehicle before she drove the vehicle again.
Milligan drove the vehicle to work that Friday, with the temporary tags still ripped.
According to the Indiana State Police, Miligan failed sobriety tests and was arrested and taken to St. Vincent Salem Hospital where she agreed to a blood alcohol test.
Those results have not been released.
Shortly after her arrest, Milligan was charged with the following:
- Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated Endangering a Person
- Operating a Vehicle While Intoxicated
- Possession of a Controlled Substance
- Possession of a Controlled Substance
- Unlawful Possession or Use of a Legend Drug knowingly possess or use X, a Legend Drug
Her bond was set at $4300 full cash and she was released on December 29 at 6:21p.
According to a probable cause affidavit filed in the arrest of , Indiana State Police found only one and a half prescription pills in her purse after her arrest due to a traffic stop.
The pills were taken by police to a local pharmacy where they were identified as generic forms of Adderral and Suboxone, both prescription drugs, according to State Police Sgt. Carey Huls.
There was no alcohol or other drugs found in the vehicle or on her person.
Milligan has returned to her role as Washington County Clerk however, Judge Larry Medlock issued an order on Thursday, January 24 that banned Milligan from handling any of the clerk’s duties regarding her own case.
Those duties have been shifted to Harrison County Clerk Sherry Brown.
Medlock wrote in the order, “That it is appropriate to relieve the Clerk and her deputies of any and all duties in [her case in]
which Sarah Milligan the elected Clerk is charged with multiple Felonies and due to it being a direct conflict of interest and having the general appearance of impropriety for the Clerk to oversee the filings against her finds the situation untenable and that emergency action must be taken to insure the integrity of the
judicial process”
Medlock noted that Special Judge John Evans of the Harrison Circuit Court was randomly assigned as Special Judge by the district’s administrate assignment Judge.
“This court now finds and orders that the Clerk of the Harrison County Circuit Court is assigned the responsibilities of Special Clerk to accept, process and disseminate all fixture filings and Orders,” Medlock noted. “This Court is taking this extraordinary measure to protect the public’s interest and to avoid the appearance of impropriety and insure the orderly dispensation of
justice.”
