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Shannon Kent recall, Lake County, Colorado (2021)
| Lake County Coroner recall |
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| Officeholders |
| Recall status |
| See also |
| Recall overview Political recall efforts, 2021 Recalls in Colorado Colorado recall laws County official recalls Recall reports |
An effort to recall Shannon Kent from his position as the Lake County Coroner in Colorado did not go to a vote in 2021. The county did not verify enough petition signatures to put the recall on the ballot.[1]
The recall effort began in February 2021. Recall supporters said the effort was overdue as Kent could not take possession of a dead body as part of a bond condition related to a court case against him. Kent had been the subject of multiple court cases since 2019. In his capacity as both a county coroner and the owner of a private funeral home, he had been charged with "perjury, official misconduct, violating bail bond conditions, and attempted tampering with a deceased human body," according to the Leadville Herald Democrat. In 2020, Kent surrendered his Colorado license to operate funeral home services.[2][3][4]
Kent did not publicly respond to the recall effort. He submitted his letter of resignation on April 30, 2021.[1]
Recall supporters
The recall effort was started by Tina Tekansik, Gloria Gonzales, and Paula Velasquez. All three work for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office but said they started the effort in their capacity as county residents, not as employees of the sheriff's department.[3]
Gonzales said the action was overdue and that they moved forward with the recall for the community. "Our coroner-elect has two more years in [his] term but he can’t touch a body. As part of his bond condition, he can pronounce dead but he can’t remove or take possession of the body or he’ll be arrested again so for our county and the jobs that we have, we need a coroner. We need someone who can take possession of a body," Gonzales said.[5]
Recall opponents
Kent had not responded to requests for comment on the recall effort as of May 3, 2021.[1]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Laws governing recall in Colorado
The initial recall paperwork was filed with the Lake County Clerk and Recorder on February 24, 2021. To get the recall on the ballot, recall supporters had to collect approximately 690 signatures from registered voters in the county by April 23, 2021.[2][3][6] They submitted the signatures by the deadline, but the county did not verify enough signatures to put the recall on the ballot.[1][7]
See also
- Lake County, Colorado
- Recall campaigns in Colorado
- Political recall efforts, 2021
- County official recalls
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Vail Daily, "Lake County coroner turns in resignation letter," May 3, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Ark Valley Voice, "CITIZENS FILE RECALL PETITION FOR LAKE COUNTY CORONER," February 26, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Leadville Herald Democrat, "Petition is underway for coroner’s recall," March 3, 2021
- ↑ The Denver Channel, "Indictment: Lake County coroner illegally sent wife to pick up body, she didn't bring body bag," September 10, 2019
- ↑ The Denver Channel, "Residents organize to recall Lake County coroner," March 1, 2021
- ↑ Vail Daily, "Kent’s attorney plans to request change in venue for Lake County charges," March 26, 2021
- ↑ Abbey Smith, “Email communication with Lake County Clerk & Recorder Patty Berger," April 27, 2021
