The Ellis County Press: Ennis city commissioner arrested

Ennis city commissioner arrested
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Editor on 08/23/2007 00:00:00


_Local dentist and city commissioner charged with videotaping female empoyees
changing _
ERIC CORNELISON
_Editor_
ENNIS - One of the Ennis city commissioner and local dentist was arrested
Friday, Aug. 17, on the charge of videotaping female employees while they
changed at his dental practice, according to police documents.
Ward 5 Commissioner Stephen Craig Durbin, 50, was charged with improper
photography or video recording, a state jail felony which carries a maximum
penalty of two years in state jail and a $10,000 fine.
Durbin turned himself in to Ennis police Friday morning and was released on
$1,000 bond, said Ennis Police Detective Sgt. Mike Hopson.
According to news reports, Durbin's attorney, Mark Griffith, said his client
maintains his innocence.
Griffith said they intend to fight the case against Durbin and want it
dismissed, but will go to a jury trial if need be
Ennis Police Chief John Erisman was contacted Thursday, Aug. 16, by one of
Durbin's employee's husbands.
The man, who was not named in the affidavit, said female employees discovered
Durbin had been videotaping them while they were changing clothes.
'The camera was later released to Erisman and was logged into evidence at EPD,'
the affidavit said.
'Employees later confronted Durbin and he admitted to making the video
recordings. The admission was recorded using a digital audio recorder.'
Griffith said he was present when police searched Durbin's office Friday and did
not see a video recorder.
Hopson said the investigation is ongoing, but has went on to say there was no
evidence the patients were videotaped.
Durbin, whose wife, Conni Durbin, was a member of the Ennis school board, has no
plans to resign his position on the city commission according to Griffith.
Durbin was elected in May 2000.
The Texas State Board of Dental Examiners website stated Durbin had been
licensed since 1983.
Griffith said he did not know about prior disciplinary action by the
professional board against his client but said Durbin had not had any problems
with the law in the past.