A Washington sheriff used a security camera to zoom in on defense and jury documents in court

A misdemeanor assault and trespass case was dismissed in San Juan County, Washington, The Seattle Times reported Monday, after the local sheriff, Ron Krebs, was found to have used a court security camera to zoom in on defense attorneys' documents and a juror's notes.

Once Krebs' actions came to light, a judge determined the defendant's right to a fair trial had been violated and the case could not continue.

Krebs claimed his manipulation of the camera to focus on the papers was unintentional as he did not realize it could zoom. He said he did not read any of the documents and was only operating the camera because of security concerns engendered by a threat made by the defendant.

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Both the defense and prosecuting attorneys expressed frustration with the situation, with the prosecutor's office denying any involvement in Krebs' behavior. "I'm flabbergasted," said public defender Colleen Kenimond, the defense lawyer whose papers were subject to the zoom. "This was a court of law. You are supposed to be safe there, and the proceedings are supposed to be fair. Here, the sheriff used the courtroom to violate my client's rights. Outrageous hardly covers it."