Former Jackson Co. Lieutenant Gets Probation for Perjury

A former Jackson County Sheriff’s Department lieutenant is sentenced to two years’ probation on felony perjury charges.

Ken McClenic served nearly 30 years with the Sheriff’s Department before he was let go in January of 2014 by Interim Sheriff Charles Britt because of his indictment. Monday, McClenic went before Judge Michael Ward to be sentenced, after pleading guilty to perjury charges.

The prosecutor had no specific recommendations for the judge, but in the end, McClenic and his lawyer were satisfied with the judge’s ruling. McClenic will not serve any actual jail time and will be able to transfer his probation to Florida, where he is moving with his wife. He will also pay a fine of $1,000. McClenic’s lawyer says the outpouring of support in court Monday from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department may have helped in the sentencing.

Calvin Taylor, McClenic’s attorney, says, “Well, I think that you can see that Ken is well respected. Even now, he’s well-loved, even now, and that his friends stood behind him even now. It says a lot about Ken McClenic.”

Taylor says he hopes McClenic will soon be able to put this all behind him.