Dec 10, 2019

Nebraska AG appeals dismissal of charges against prosecutor

Posted Dec 10, 2019 5:21 PM

BROKEN BOW, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska's attorney general is appealing a county judge's decision to dismiss misdemeanor charges against a local prosecutor.

The attorney general's office recently asked a district court to review the case after the charges against Custer County Attorney Steven Bowers were dismissed.

The attorney general charged Bowers with official misconduct, obstructing government operations and oppression under color of office. Authorities haven't said what led the attorney general's office to charge Bowers, but court records say the charges are related to the criminal case of a Broken Bow man, Sean Newman.

County Judge Jeffrey Wightman dismissed the charges, saying the attorney general failed to prove that Bowers knowingly violated any law.

Messages for Bowers and attorney general's office weren't immediately returned. In court records, Bowers has argued that the charges are vague and he accuses the attorney general's office of violating the U.S. and Nebraska constitutions' concepts of separation of powers.