Judge snubs grand jury seeking arrest of officials

     Associated Press
      ELKO -- District Judge Michael Memeo has declined to issue warrants for the arrest of six state and federal officials accused by a grand jury of coercing a mining company into paying a $500,000 mitigation fee.
      Memeo agreed with the district attorney's office that the statute of limitations had run out on the gross misdemeanor counts alleged by the grand jury against Willie Molini, director of the state Wildlife Division, three of his employees and two U.S. Forest Service workers.
      The grand jury accused the six of criminally coercing Independence Mining Co. to pay a $500,000 fee for disturbing 5,500 acres of prime winter habitat for mule deer when the company expanded
      Peter Morros, director of the state Conservation and Natural Resources Department, blasted the grand jury report, calling it a "witch hunt" aimed at furthering the drive by Elko County to gain control of the public lands.
      At a meeting last Friday, Bob Micsak, vice president and general counsel of Independence Mining Co., said it voluntarily entered into the mitigation agreement.
      "We do not agree with the findings set out in the presentment of the Elko County grand jury in this matter," he added.
      The grand jury had recommended the return of the $500,000 and said the state and federal employees negotiated in bad faith knowing they had Independence Mining over a barrel because its gold reserves were exhausted and it had to expand to keep the operation going.
      Morros has hinted that the employees named in the report may take some legal action against the grand jury. And he complained that two members of the grand jury were employees of Independence Mining.