The State - News from July 26, 1989

Merced County Sheriff Bill Amis resigned to avoid an increasingly costly court battle over a 21-count grand jury accusation he faced. The sole goal of the accusation was to oust Amis from office, so the case probably will be dismissed, Dist. Atty. Frank Dougherty said. Some of the grand jury accusations issued last August revolved around a group of “special deputies,” prominent county residents who paid $100 dues a year. The grand jury contended that they constituted a political organization to support Amis. In a letter to county supervisors, Amis insisted that he is innocent. “I have not been accused of any crime, and I believe when the transcript of the grand jury hearing is made public, it will show I have not committed any misconduct,” he wrote. His attorney estimated that legal fees would reach $137,000.