Story - The Meade County Messenger


Vol. 116, No. 35	Month DAY, 2007

Familiar face selected as new county attorney investigator

By LARRY SEE JR.
Messenger Staff

A face familiar to members of the Meade County Fire Protection District, Chairman Martin Bosemer, has a new role.

Bosemer was hired Aug. 18 by County Attorney Margaret Matney as her investigator.

Members of the Meade County Fiscal Court established a budgeted salary of $23,000, but since the funds are passed through directly to her office, the Court didn’t need to approve the hiring.

Bosemer’s position almost didn’t happen, as it was inadvertently removed from the budget this year.

Matney told Fiscal Court members the position will review complaints to allow her and her staff to determine how to prosecute them.

She said if the position weren’t granted she wanted an additional assistant county attorney.

“I wasn’t looking for the job,” Bosemer said. “I had retired from the federal service. When Margaret approached me about the position I told her I would think about it and after I told her I would take it on.”

As part of his duties, Bosemer reviews cases and issues residents are dealing with and how the staff can work to solve them.

“I’ve gotten great guidance from the ladies on the (county attorney’s) staff thus far,” Bosemer said.

“The county attorney worked with us on the new (fire department station) building and our relationship was very positive,” he continued. “There is a lot of honesty between her and Greta (Noe, assistant county attorney) and they tell you things point blank.”

“The guidance they have given has been very clear and concise,” Bosemer said. “I’m supposed to get the facts, be honest and try to understand it from their (the public’s) side of view. I’m supposed to get the hard facts, if available.”

Bosemer’s terms were straightforward.

He asked them not to ask him to do anything illegal; that he wouldn’t lie to them and asked they not lie to him and to be honest and look at the facts presented.

“I want them to tell me what else they need to round it out,” he said, of the cases under review.

Bosemer has stepped in, and using past Department of Defense skills, developed a format, whereby all staff work together and there is a system of who does what along with adequate checks and balances.

Bosemer gets the cases from Matney and Noe and checks with other police departments or agencies to determine whether the office’s services are needed or whether the case can be closed.

“I worked on six cases in 90 minutes in Muldraugh,” Bosemer said.

Bosemer stressed he recommends action which needs to be taken.

“After I recommend, if there is action that needs to be taken, it is up to them (Matney and Noe) to prosecute or not,” Bosemer said.

“My job is to try to get the fiction separated from the fact,” he continued.

Bosemer travels throughout the county without a radio or gun.

“The only thing I asked for was some identification,” he said. “If I feel I have gotten a problem I’ll go with officers.”

In addition to the Muldraugh City Police, Bosemer has worked with chief county animal control officer Tom Brady, the Sheriff’s Department, Louisville Metro Police, and Kentucky State Police.

“This is one busy office,” he said, but Bosemer always gets a brief minute when he has questions with either person.

“We’re there to provide information or work with them on handling these issues,” he said.

“He’s a good man and has a professional demeanor,” Matney said. “He works well with people and will handle citizen complaints to determine whether we need any additional activity.”

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