Overview
- A Johnson County grand jury returned a new indictment on Wednesday, July 29, charging Sheriff Adam King with corrupt influence for retaliation against a witness and with tampering or fabricating physical evidence.
- King was arrested on the new charges on Friday, July 31, and has pleaded not guilty to all counts.
- The retaliation allegation says King took adverse personnel actions against former Chief Deputy James Saulter after Saulter reported alleged misconduct, and the tampering charge alleges King altered, destroyed, or concealed a laptop to impair its availability as evidence.
- A judge declared a mistrial in King’s earlier criminal trial on July 7 after jurors deadlocked, and a retrial is scheduled for November 2026 while Saulter pursues a civil petition to remove King from office.
- King’s lawyers call the new indictment baseless, prosecutors say the charges raise the possibility of prison time if convicted, and the case is likely to prolong legal uncertainty and scrutiny of county law enforcement operations.