Former Wayne County Clerk Melissa Turpin will remain on probation until a charged filed against her last month in Pulaski County is resolved.

Turpin appeared in Wayne Circuit Court on Tuesday, October 2 for a probation revocation hearing, where testimony was heard regarding a recent charge of second degree forgery.

Turpin was arrested on the new charge on September 20 in Pulaski County following an investigation by the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office.

Commonwealth’s Attorney Matthew Leveridge filed action last week to have probation for Turpin revoked.

She is on probation for two previous sets of charges, including theft and abuse of a public trust over $100,000. The charges stemmed from deficits in audits of her office. She pled guilty to the charges and resigned from office in October 2009.

Circuit Judge Vernon Miniard, Jr. heard testimony from two witnesses during last week’s hearing, including Pulaski County Clerk Ralph Troxtell, whose signature Turpin is accused of forging on a vehicle title.

Troxtell told the court that he had looked at the title to the 2006 Toyota Highlander, which was sold on Craig’s List to a Maryland resident, and noted that it was not his signature on the lien release. Troxtell also said he had asked the people who worked in his office and they did not sign the title.

Leveridge also questioned Paul Underwood, who is an investigator with the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office. Underwood testified regarding his investigation into the alleged forged signature on the title. He interviewed Troxtell, who said it was not his signature.

Underwood later interviewed Turpin, who told him she had signed the lien release.

Following the conclusion of testimony, Miniard said he would reserve a decision regarding the probation issue until the charge in Pulaski County is resolved.

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Defense attorneys for Rod Tejeda are seeking to have blood evidence, as well as evidence taken from his car, suppressed at trial.

A hearing on the motions was held in Wayne Circuit Court on Friday, October 5 and Special Judge James L. Bowling, Jr. is expected to rule on both matters soon.

Tejeda, a former Wayne County Assistant Attorney, is charged with murder in connection with the April death of Jerus Helen Neal.

Neal died from injuries sustained in a two-vehicle collision that occurred on Main Street near the intersection with Young Street on April 19.

Officials stated that Tejeda’s car struck Neal’s vehicle in the driver’s side as she was turning from Young Street onto Main Street. She was pronounced dead a short time later at Wayne County Hospital.

Tejeda is represented by attorneys Tom Carroll and Lance Turner, who both appeared in court with him last week. At question are the search warrants used to secure blood evidence from Tejeda following the crash and to secure information from his car.

Carroll stated in the motion that in both instances Tejeda’s constitutional rights were violated.

Robert Stevens was the special prosecutor representing the Commonwealth at the hearing. He argued that officials had probable cause for a search warrant after Tejeda, who originally consented to give a blood sample, left the hospital and went into the nearby woods.

Carroll pointed out to the court that Tejeda was not under arrest and had not been charged with a crime.

Carroll also told the court that the search warrant filed in regard to the search of Tejeda’s vehicle did not specifically state any crime had been committed.

The only mention of any violation in the affidavit was speed, which Carroll pointed out was a traffic violation.

Stevens argued that the collision occurred in a 35 mile per hour speed limit, but the damage to both vehicles indicated that speed was being exceeded. He said the electronic data recorder was the best indication of what was going on inside the vehicle at the time of the crash.

Bowling reviewed the affidavits and made the statement that both search warrants appeared to be more like those filed in a civil action. He ended the hearing by informing attorneys that he would rule on the motions in writing.