RAY COUNTY — A Ray County judge has temporarily removed Prosecutor Camille Johnston from her office after Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed a petition alleging a pattern of misconduct and neglect.
Preliminary order bars Johnston from courthouse and office
The attorney general’s office filed the petition under quo warranto, the court procedure used to challenge a public official’s right to hold office. A judge approved a preliminary order that takes effect immediately, stripping Johnston of her duties pending the outcome of the full lawsuit.
The order forbids Johnston from entering the prosecutor’s office or the Ray County Courthouse and from conducting any business with that office unless the court expressly allows it.
Allegations in the petition
According to the news release from the attorney general’s office, the petition accuses Johnston of several actions that, the AG says, undermine the integrity of the prosecutor’s office. Allegations listed in the filing include:
- verbally berating staff;
- engaging in intimate relationships with a criminal defense attorney who represented defendants in matters prosecuted by her;
- having relationships with a prospective defendant and with an immigrant who was being prosecuted in the county;
- terminating an employee who discovered one of those relationships; and
- transferring the title to her vehicle to the immigrant defendant, allegedly to help him abscond.
The attorney general’s release characterized the conduct as a sustained pattern that posed a threat to public safety and violated the public trust.
“Johnston’s record reflects a sustained pattern of misconduct and willful neglect that has undermined the integrity of the prosecutor’s office and poses a serious threat to public safety,” Hanaway said in the news release.
What happens next
The preliminary order is temporary and remains in place while the AG’s office pursues the full lawsuit. The petition seeks permanent removal from office. The Star was unable to reach Johnston for comment, according to the reporting distributed with the AG’s release.
| Item | Allegation |
|---|---|
| Staff treatment | Verbal beratement of employees |
| Conflicts of interest | Romantic relationship with defense attorney in local cases |
| Interference with prosecutions | Relationship with a prospective defendant; alleged help in transfer of vehicle title |
Removing an elected prosecutor is a rare and consequential step. The action raises immediate practical questions for Ray County residents and for criminal cases pending in the court, including who will handle ongoing prosecutions and how the office will continue day-to-day operations while the litigation proceeds.
At the statewide level, the move underscores heightened scrutiny from the attorney general’s office toward local prosecutors and a willingness to use quo warranto filings when officials are accused of abusing their positions. For residents of Ray County, the next weeks will show how the local justice system adapts while the legal challenge moves through the courts.
News Block will update this story as court filings and responses from the parties become available.
