May trial date set for Todd Fort
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[A May 4 trial date has been set for Todd Fort.
The former chief deputy and school board president faces several accusations of sexual assault and official misconduct involving a 17-year-old intern at the Saline County Sheriff's Department.
At a hearing on Friday, defense attorney Bryan Drew said he needs more time before trial in order to hire expert witnesses to examine evidence, such as DNA, computers and text-messaging evidence the state plans to use. Fort recently reached a settlement with the County Board to receive some back pay for vacations and sick days - that money may be used to hire an expert witness, Drew said.
A final pretrial hearing is set for April 8; all discovery must be filed by 4 p.m. March 18.
Fort has had some health problems during his time in the Jackson County jail. Drew said he is starting to feel better.
"He seems to be recuperating from those. He seems to be doing better," Drew said.
Drew has not yet decided whether to try for a change-of-venue due to pretrial publicity. It is yet to be seen whether Fort can receive a fair trial in Saline County, he said.
"It is just a fact of life in a small community that it is difficult to find people who don't have a lot of knowledge about the case," Drew said.
Fort remains held at the Jackson County jail on $500,000 bond. He was arrested July 19 and posted bond Aug. 23. He remained out on bond for about one month before being taken back into custody for violating the conditions of his bond by having contact with the former intern. His bond was increased to $500,000.
After Fort was arrested in July, State's Attorney Mike Henshaw said the issue in the case is not consent -- state law prohibits someone in a position of authority from having sexual relations with a subordinate under 18.