06/04/2026
Below is Judge Danielson’s Letter to the Editor:
“There are legitimate questions that deserve answers regarding the recent official press release issued by the Henry County Attorney’s Office.
The release repeatedly attributes responsibility for the dismissal of a criminal case to former County Attorney Darin Stater and Acting County Attorney Abbie Liechty. However, important facts appear to have been omitted.
According to Ms. Liechty, she was hired on January 12, 2026 as a part time assistant county attorney assigned to juvenile matters. The filing deadline in question was January 19. She states she did not even have a county email address or office until January 19 and was not handling this case, which remained under the responsibility of County Attorney Darin Stater until his resignation.
More importantly, court records reportedly show that the Trial Information was electronically filed on January 14, five days before the statutory deadline. The issue was not that no filing occurred. The issue was that court approval was not obtained before the deadline, a distinction that is known to the legal community but was largely absent from the public narrative.
If those facts are accurate, then describing the dismissal as the result of “inaction and carelessness” creates a very different impression than the actual sequence of events.
The ethical concern is not that the public was informed about new charges. The public should be informed.
The ethical concern is that an official government press release about a criminal case repeatedly named a current political opponent, assigned blame to that opponent, omitted significant context about her role and authority, and concluded with statements highlighting what will happen “under my leadership.”
Public communications from public officials, particularly a prosecutor’s office, should be focused on facts, transparency, and justice. They should not create the appearance of using official government communications to score political points against an election opponent.
At a minimum, voters deserve the full story, not just the version that happens to be politically convenient.
Respectfully Submitted,
Cynthia Danielson”