Terry Maketa retrial-what we know so far

Terry Maketa, the former El Paso County Sheriff will be back in front of a judge and jury starting on Tuesday. The retrial this week is on four charges, including extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion and official misconduct started last Monday.

Witnesses claim Maketa used his position to retaliate, fire and influence the people in the department.

The jury was narrowed down from 90 people to 12 jurors and two alternates.

During opening statements, prosecutor Chris Wilcox said, “This is not a workplace dispute, this is about power, the power Maketa had as Sheriff and how he used it.”

Maketa’s defense attorney, Pamela Mackey argues, “this is a case over the unhappy employees made about the way their time with the sheriff’s office ended.”

Witness and former health service administrator, Wendy Habert for El Paso County Jail testified Maketa retaliated against her when she wouldn’t run Undersheriff’s Paula Presley’s campaign. The defense argued she called Presley an offensive name, therefore making a case she didn’t get along with other employees.

A former Human Relations manager, Amy Fitch, told the court, former Sheriff Maketa wanted two employees, both involved in this lawsuit, on a list kept by the District Attorney. She says, “My first reaction was this is basically a hit list, an enemies list of Mr. Maketa.”

Witness testimony resumes in the courtroom on Tuesday.