Briefly

WICHITA

Defendant pleads in bar-fight death

A woman has pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in the death of a man during a bar fight.

Melissa Stanford, 26, could receive between four and 20 years in prison after entering the plea this week just as her second-degree murder trial was set to begin.

A no-contest plea is not an admission of guilt but acknowledges that the state has sufficient evidence to earn a conviction. Sedgwick County District Judge Rebecca Pilshaw accepted Stanford’s plea. Sentencing was set for Dec. 19.

Two other people, Stanford’s sister, Latrina Green, and Derrick Henderson, recently were convicted of second-degree murder in the death of O.T. Ruffin. Police considered Henderson the primary attacker.

Ruffin, 25, was kicked and stomped to death the night of June 29 outside a bar in southeast Wichita.

TOPEKA

Senator pays fines for campaign violations

Sen. David Haley paid $2,300 for failing to appoint a campaign treasurer within the required time and not filing his required paperwork naming the treasurer on time.

The penalties against Haley, D-Kansas City, stemmed from his unsuccessful campaign for secretary of state this year.

On Tuesday, the state Governmental Ethics Commission levied a civil fine of $2,500 because it decided Haley intentionally violated the law, but set aside $500 of the fine.

Additionally, Haley faced a $300 civil penalty assessed against him in October for not filing his appointment of treasurer form within 20 days of becoming a candidate.

Haley paid both penalties Tuesday.

He was supposed to file the form naming his treasurer with the Secretary of State’s Office by June 26 but did not until Aug. 15.

Wichita

Former court officer faces 11 charges

Former Sedgwick County chief court administrator Louis Hentzen has been charged with 11 counts of official misconduct, accused of double-billing the county and state on his expense account.

Hentzen pleaded innocent to the charges on Monday and faces a Dec. 9 preliminary hearing.

County Commission Chairman Ben Sciortino asked the district attorney to investigate after The Wichita Eagle reported in March that Hentzen charged almost $1,800 in meals on his county-issued credit card on days when he also claimed state or county per-diem money to pay for his meals.