CA prosecutor resigns over warrant for his arrest

[March 12, 2011]  MERCED, Calif. (AP) -- A prosecutor for a central California county has resigned after his superiors discovered he had been working despite a nearly year-old warrant for his arrest.

The Merced Sun-Star reports that a bench warrant for the arrest of Merced County Deputy District Attorney Matthew Shelton was issued last April for failing to appear in court for speeding and driving on a suspended license. Yet Shelton continued working, handling misdemeanors and felony cases, including a homicide. Police alerted his office about the warrant on March 2. The newspaper says the 43-year-old may have broken laws prosecuting cases while suspended by the State Bar in 2008. He had been with the office since 2007. District Attorney Larry Morse says Shelton never brought up the warrant or suspension. [Associated Press] Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.