By Echo Menges
Scotland County Sheriff Bryan Whitney, 43, of Memphis was arrested by the Missouri State Highway Patrol for allegedly driving while intoxicated – first offense on Friday evening, September 29, 2023. The arrest was made at 9:45 p.m. in Scotland County, according to the MSHP Arrest Report.
Whitney was taken to the Schuyler County Sheriff’s Office before being released.
A formal criminal charge against the Sheriff has yet to be filed. According to Scotland County Prosecutor April Wilson, a special prosecutor will be appointed to handle the case due to a conflict of interest.
“I am in the process of finding a Special Prosecutor to serve on Bryan Whitney’s case. I will file a motion to apply for the appointment of a Special Prosecutor. Currently, my office is involved in ongoing cases and investigations directly with Sheriff Whitney and the Scotland County Sheriff’s Office. It creates a conflict for my office, and in any case that I have a conflict I would apply for a Special Prosecutor – so it is a routine process. I believe that the case deserves an unbiased prosecutor to handle the matter like every other case. Every defendant is innocent until proven guilty,” Scotland County Prosecutor April Wilson told the Memphis Democrat.
