Hillsdale County Sheriff Scott Hodshire Pleads Not Guilty to Tipping Off Suspect

Hillsdale County Sheriff Scott Hodshire pleaded not guilty Sept. 2 to charges of misconduct in office and obstruction of justice, after Michigan State Police accused him of warning a suspect's family about a search warrant before officers could execute it.

Hodshire, 59, appeared by Zoom before Judge Daniel A. Goostrey of Jackson County's 12th District Court shortly after 10:15 a.m. The hearing was streamed for viewing in Hillsdale County's 2B District Court. Defense attorney John Shea entered the not guilty pleas on Hodshire's behalf. The court continued a $1,000 personal recognizance bond and set a probable cause conference for 10 a.m. Sept. 30, which the judge said may also be held remotely.

The charges stem from a theft investigation that the Williams County Sheriff's Office in Ohio, just south of the state line, opened earlier this year. According to court transcripts, that office contacted Hillsdale County on Feb. 18 asking for help executing a search warrant. Michigan State Police Detective Travis Pohl testified at an earlier probable cause hearing that Hodshire, instead of assisting, alerted members of the suspect's family that the warrant was coming and told them which items investigators intended to seize: a truck, a trailer and a tractor.

Investigators later determined the suspect knew about both the investigation and the specific property being sought before officers arrived to execute the warrant. Police obtained a separate warrant for Hodshire's cellphone records, which showed he called the suspect directly and also called each of the suspect's parents on Feb. 18, the same day Williams County reached out for assistance.

The criminal complaint against Hodshire states his conduct obstructed the Ohio investigation and created safety concerns for the officers who eventually carried out the search. Magistrate Rachel Doxtader reviewed the evidence and ruled that probable cause existed, issuing an arrest warrant Aug. 31, one day before Hodshire's initial court appearance.

Hodshire released a statement through the Hillsdale County Sheriff's Office hours after his arraignment, saying his office had assisted the Ohio investigation "as a courtesy to an out of state law enforcement agency which lacked jurisdiction in Hillsdale County." He said he would not debate the merits of the case in the press and would instead let the matter play out in court. "Not one person from my office nor myself did anything intended to interfere with a sister agency's investigation or otherwise take action that was knowingly criminal in nature," the statement read.

Hodshire said he plans to keep serving as sheriff while the case proceeds. "During this period, until fully vindicated, I will continue to serve in the same capacity and full scope as I have over the past six years as your elected sheriff," he wrote, adding that his attorney has told him not to discuss details of the incident publicly before trial.

Hodshire has held the sheriff's office for two election cycles. He thanked residents for their support in his statement and said operations at the sheriff's office would continue without disruption.

The next scheduled step in the case is the probable cause conference set for Sept. 30 in Jackson County's 12th District Court. Misconduct in office and obstruction of justice are both felony charges in Michigan, though the complaint against Hodshire does not specify potential penalties. Hodshire remains free on the $1,000 personal recognizance bond set at his arraignment.