SCOTT CO. SPECIAL PROSECUTOR IS A GOOD MOVE

There seems to have been more than little misunderstanding over the filing of charges against two suspected murderers in Scott County. A lot of people, including Sheriff Bill Ferrell, thought the two men accused of using a hatchet to kill a Scott City woman were being charged with first-degree murder, a capital offense.

But later it was discovered that the charges were second-degree murder, which Prosecuting Attorney Cristy Baker-Neel said was all the preliminary information warranted. She said court documents that showed the first-degree charges were a typographical error. She also said she could amend the charges to first-degree murder if more information indicated a need to do so.

But there have been a lot of hard feelings over the handling of the charges. It is probably in the best interest of everyone in Scott County to have a special prosecutor, someone with more experience in handling major cases, to step in. Special prosecutors have been used before in Scott County.

It is good that Baker-Neel realized that requesting a special prosecutor would be the best move. The goal is justice, and for many people that means having the best legal representation for the people as well as the accused.