Hearings in county prosecutor’s case set for Wednesday morning

The Moniteau County Prosecutor is set to be in court on his own criminal charges Wednesday morning.

Two hearings are set for Shayne Healea, 37, in Macon County. Healea is accused of assault and leaving the scene of an accident in October 2014 when he backed into Addison’s restaurant in downtown Columbia. Glass blocks injured four people inside. Police believe Healea was drunk when he got behind the wheel of his truck. Healea apologized for the incident the next day, but made no mention whether or not he was drunk.

Healea’s attorney, Shane Farrow, is asking the court dismiss the charges, claiming both the Columbia Police Department and state Attorney General’s Office violated his right to attorney-client privilege the night of his arrest. Farrow is also asking Special Master Hadley Grimm close the courtroom to the public, three days after ABC 17 News asked to bring a camera inside the courtroom for Healea’s case.

Farrow argued that CPD recorded a phone conversation with his attorney while Healea was in a holding cell. The contents of that conversation, he said, led CPD to request certain search warrants on Healea’s cell phone to bolster their case against him. He also claims the attorney general did not provide Healea or his attorney a copy of that video, and that then-Assistant Attorney General Julie Tolle lied to the court in saying she had no such copy.

Tolle, who now works for the Cass County Prosecutor’s Office, argued Healea’s conversation has never played a part in its investigation, and instead rely on Healea’s blood alcohol content.

Farrow is also asking the court close the hearing based on such a constitutional violation, saying coverage of it would only further prejudice the case against Healea.