Ohio court rejects use of wildlife worker answers

COLUMBUS (AP) — Statements made by five state wildlife officials during an internal investigation can’t be used against them in a criminal case, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled today.

The unanimous decision likely ends a 2010 prosecution of the five Ohio Division of Wildlife employees, because a prosecutor was on record saying the statements were a chief piece of evidence.

At issue were answers the employees provided during an Inspector General investigation into allegations that another Wildlife employee had illegally provided an out-of-state colleague with an Ohio hunting license at a discount.

The U.S. Supreme Court previously determined that statements by public employees during internal investigations typically can’t be used in criminal cases if the employees spoke as a condition of keeping their jobs, Justice Judith French said in the state Supreme Court’s decision.

That ruling clearly applies in this case, since the employees spoke to an Inspector General investigator after being warned by the Natural Resources department that “their failure to do so would subject them to disciplinary action up to and including termination,” Justice French said.