Wayne County District Attorney Christine Callanan has been appointed special prosecutor in the case of Michael Tapscott, the former Geneva police officer accused of selling drugs while on duty.
The appointment follows a disclosure by Ontario County District Attorney James Ritts, who revealed that his opponent in this year’s election, Ontario County Attorney Jason MacBride, had exchanged text messages with Tapscott. Ritts alleged that MacBride was seeking endorsements from Tapscott and the Geneva Police Department for his DA campaign. According to Ritts, the text exchanges took place over several months prior to Tapscott’s arrest.
“As the Ontario County District Attorney, it is my job to ensure that all defendants are brought to justice without even the appearance of impropriety,” said DA Ritts in a statement. “Therefore, to ensure the community has confidence in the resolution of Tapscott’s case, free of any possible appearance of impropriety, prejudice, or politics, I must seek the appointment of a Special Prosecutor from outside Ontario County. Although I am disappointed there is a need for a Special Prosecutor in this case, prosecutorial ethics require me to take this action.”
Late Thursday afternoon, MacBride released this statement to the media:
Tapscott was arrested on May 7th for allegedly selling a prescription form of Adderall to another person while on duty, in uniform, and a marked patrol car. Tapscott resigned from his position following the arrest.
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