Published: August 24, 2007 03:53 pm      

Murphy seeks special prosecutor

A high-profile Indianapolis lawyer has filed a motion for a special prosecutor in the criminal investigation of former Clark County Republican Chairman Glenn Murphy Jr.

James Voyles Jr. — who has handled cases for sports figures ranging from former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson to Indianapolis Colts running back Dominic Rhodes to former Indiana University coach Bob Knight — filed the motion on Murphy’s behalf in Clark Circuit Court on Thursday.

Murphy, of Utica, is accused of sexually assaulting a man in a Jeffersonville home on July 29, following a party there the night before. Murphy has neither been arrested nor charged with a crime, but a Clark County Sheriff’s Department report has been forwarded to Prosecutor Steve Stewart for review.

Murphy resigned as the county’s GOP chairman and as president of the Young Republican National Federation earlier this month. He was elected to the national post in July.

Voyles’ request for a special prosecutor claims that it might be difficult for a case to proceed with a local prosecutor without eventually running into claims that the case’s outcome was politically motivated.

The motion sites not only Murphy’s political involvement — which includes seven years as the county’s Republican Party chairman — but references the fact that his father, Glenn Murphy Sr., has served and is currently a candidate for Utica Town Council and that the elder Murphy owns a screen-printing company that has done campaign work for countless Democratic and Republican politicians.

Jeffersonville attorney Larry Wilder had been representing Murphy.

“I have asked Jim to represent Glenn at this juncture in this matter,” Wilder said.

Voyles was in a trial Thursday and was unavailable for comment.

Stewart, a Democrat, does not comment on cases before charges are filed, and it is unclear how he was planning to handle the allegation against Murphy. Stewart essentially had four options available to him: file charges, call a grand jury to review the evidence and statements, request a special prosecutor or do nothing.

There is no immediate timetable for Clark Circuit Judge Dan Donahue to rule on Voyles’ motion.