Subpoenaed Sheriff Says He’s Very Upset Overstreet Will Attend Meeting, But It Won’t Be Friendly Session

Embattled Latah County Sheriff Joe Overstreet says he will attend a meeting with county commissioners on Tuesday. But the sheriff says he’s doing it reluctantly - and it won’t be a friendly session.

“I’m very upset,” he said. “What kind of working relationship is this to issue a subpoena?”

Overstreet said commissioners set the hostile mood by issuing a subpoena to him to attend a meeting to discuss an Aug. 4 traffic accident involving Deputy Miguel Monico.

Commissioners earlier in the week said they couldn’t get the sheriff to come in and talk to them about the accident, with members of the sheriff’s office telling them Overstreet was on vacation or out of the office. Finally, they took the unprecedented step of issuing a court subpoena to compel the sheriff to attend a meeting.

Overstreet contends the commission’s interest in the accident is strange, because there have been other accidents involving department vehicles which haven’t come in for so much attention.

County auditor Susan Peterson said in the past, when there has been an accident, it has been normal procedure to report it so a letter can be prepared for the county’s insurance agency, risk manager and the commissioners.

But she said no information has been turned in on Monico’s accident.

Overstreet said his department is satisfied with the investigation into the accident and accepted the finding it was caused by brake failure.

The sheriff said there was no investigation required because there was just $200 damage.

State law requires traffic accident reports on government vehicles only if the damage is over $750.

The vehicle is functioning but there is some body damage that will not be repaired because the vehicle has only about one year of useful life left.

If the vehicle had its body damage repaired, the damage would be higher, the sheriff said.

Overstreet acknowledged he hasn’t returned commissioners’ calls, but said that isn’t his job.

“I’m not at the beck and call of the commissioners,” he said, and his job keeps him moving with the county. The dispatcher knows where to find him, he said.