A former deputy clerk for the City of Princeton appeared in Caldwell District Court on Monday morning, where a felony charge of tampering with public records was dismissed.
Alan Getz, who also served the city as a code enforcement officer, was charged with second-degree official misconduct, a Class B misdemeanor, and tampering with public records, a Class D Felony.
During a preliminary hearing, Getz appeared before Judge Matthew Schalk alongside his defense attorney, Donald Sullenger, and Assistant County Attorney Dailey Wilson. Wilson informed the judge that the felony charge was being dismissed, while Sullenger entered a not guilty plea on the misdemeanor charge on behalf of Getz.
Wilson also made an offer to the defense.
Sullenger stated that he and Getz would discuss the offer ahead of the pretrial conference, which Judge Schalk set for 8:30 a.m. on February 16.
According to court records, the Princeton Police Department began an investigation on September 10th after a detective reported allegations had surfaced that Getz offered to waive a city business license in exchange for a woman engaging in conduct that could be perceived as an intimate relationship, and that the woman agreed to the arrangement.
In the court records, the detective stated that during the investigation, it was discovered that on September 3rd, a woman responded to a city Facebook post to criticize a city service. In response, the detective said Getz requested that she pay her city business license, and the woman then made a public post exposing the alleged proposition and arrangement, specifically naming Getz. According to the detective, Getz subsequently deleted the post in an attempt to conceal the arrangement.
Mayor Brock Thomas told WPKY’s News Edge that Getz was terminated from his position with the City of Princeton on November 10th following his court appearance.
