A circuit court judge has ruled that Curry County Sheriff John Ward must comply with a number of orders laid out in a county ordinance passed by commissioners last December.
Judge Martin Stone granted a partial summary judgment this week, ordering Ward to turn over contracts his office has made with outside agencies for legal review, provide personnel records to the county’s human resources department and hand over duplicate keys to all county vehicles.
Ward must also acknowledge that property purchased with county funds belongs to the county and cooperate with the sale or transfer of any surplus assets.
But the court rejected a requirement that Ward attend board meetings, ruling the demand exceeded the commissioners' authority.
The judge will leave it up to a jury to decide whether the sheriff must provide "all records, information and supporting documents” to commissioners upon request. Ward has argued there’s some material he can only share with other law enforcement agencies.
“This court cannot tell, at least on this record, what records the Sheriff is required to keep confidential and therefore will require testimony at the trial,” Stone wrote.
In a statement, the board of commissioners said it appreciated the court's decision. "This clarification of roles and responsibilities will pave the way for several counties facing similar issues."
Ward was also pleased with the judgment. A statement from the sheriff's attorney, Erin Gould, questioned the commissioners' positive framing of the court decision.
"What the [Board of Commissioners] press release fails to mention is that the court denied the BOC’s motion for summary judgment on the most contested issues," according to the statement. "The items that the BOC 'won' summary judgment on were largely not contested by Sheriff Ward."
Tensions between the board and the sheriff escalated in September 2024. Ward filed an Oregon State Bar complaint against Curry County Attorney Ted Fitzgerald, alleging a vendetta. The bar dismissed the complaint.
Commissioners sued Ward in January as relations between the board and the sheriff’s office deteriorated.
Teamsters Local 223, which represents Ward’s officers, called the board’s ordinance an "overreach."
Over the summer, Lt. Jeremy Krohn filed petitions to recall commissioners Jay Trost and Patrick Hollinger, alleging Hollinger has led an ongoing campaign against Ward.
Multiple law enforcement levies to fund Ward’s office have failed at the ballot. The sheriff’s office has cut positions and reduced patrols amid a shrinking budget.
This story has been updated with a comment from Sheriff John Ward's attorney.
