Enet Somers-Dehaney has tendered her resignation as Box Butte County Public Defender, a move that comes just weeks after a recall petition was filed against her.
Somers-Dehaney submitted her resignation to the Box Butte County Clerk’s Office on the morning of Sept. 5, stating in her resignation letter that it was effective immediately.
“It was a privilege serving the indigent of Box Butte County,” Somers-Dehaney said in the letter filed with the Box Butte County Clerk’s Office.
Brent Hansen, of Alliance, was the person who filed the petition to recall Somers-Dehaney. In the petition, Hansen wrote that the reliance on outside counsel and the cost to the county was the reason for the recall effort.
“Ms. Somers-Dehaney has shown her incompetence as an attorney numerous times throughout her time in office,” Hansen wrote in the form. “This incompetence has caused her to lose most of her caseload. This has resulted in Box Butte County having to hire outside counsel. Paying both outside counsel and Ms. Somers-Dehaney it has causes a depletion of county funds.”
Somers-Dehaney responded to the Alliance Times-Herald’s request for comment regarding the recall, stating that the comments made are untrue.
“The statements made in the recall petition, filed on August 23, 2023, with the County Clerk of Box Butte County, Nebraska, USA, are completely untrue,” Somers-Dehaney told the Alliance Times-Herald. “I do not know Brent Hansen, I have never heard of him and he has never been my client. I do not know of any specific instance, of ‘incompetence.’ Brent Hansen’s words are untruths, and are intended to destroy my reputation, deliberately embarrass me, ‘put me in my place’ and drive me out of town. As a result, it is no longer possible for me to effectively meet my responsibility to the people of this County as their Public Defender. For 25 years I have represented the indigent, with vigor competence and determination, because this is what I believe in and this is what I am passionate about.”
Her resignation was made official after the Box Butte County Commissioners voted unanimously to accept it immediately during their meeting on Sept. 6. County Clerk Martie Burke said that they will have 45 days to fill the role of Box Butte County Public Defender, and that they are expected to discuss the issue further at their meeting on Sept. 18.
Somers-Dehaney began serving as the Box Butte County Public Defender on June 22, 2022, after she was appointed by the Box Butte County Commissioners to serve in December of 2021. She filed for re-election and won that election, securing another term in office.
Since the resignation of Jon Worthman, who was placed on leave in January 2020 after being arrested for possession of cocaine with intent to deliver, the role of Box Butte County Public Defender has seen many changes in staff. Somers-Dehaney was the third person to serve as Box Butte County Public Defender since Worthman’s resignation.
Somers-Dehaney appeared in Box Butte County District Court on Thursday morning, where she faced a contempt of court trial regarding multiple cases from which she was removed by District Court Judge Travis O’Gorman. The trial was concerning five cases in which she was accused of not providing all of the case files to Helen Winston, who was appointed to represent the defendants in those cases, and for continuing to represent one of those clients, despite an order from Judge O’Gorman.
Four of the cases of contempt of court were dismissed, but in the fifth, Judge O’Gorman found Somers-Dehaney in contempt of court, and imposed a $200 sanction against her.