Douglas County’s chief probation officer, who was mysteriously absent from work for months while receiving pay, is no longer an employee of the Douglas County District Court.

Doug Weller, spokesman for the Kansas Supreme Court Office of Judicial Administration, said Douglas County chief court services officer Michelle Roberts was no longer an employee of the district court as of Feb. 18. That also was the last day she received pay for the position she held since January 2001, which pays a salary of $53,535.

The Office of Judicial Administration did not respond to a request for details of how Roberts’ employment ended.

County officials who worked with Roberts told the Journal-World in November that Roberts had been absent since last spring. District court and state officials declined to confirm whether Roberts was suspended from her job.

The chief court services officer oversees one of two adult probation offices that serve Douglas County District Court. The employees of the court services office are state employees and are managed by district court officials.