Healea pleads guilty, resigns as prosecutor

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Moniteau County Prosecuting Attorney Shayne Healea resigned from office Tuesday after pleading guilty to four counts stemming from a 2014 crash in Columbia that injured four people.

He pleaded guilty Tuesday morning to three counts of third-degree assault and one count of driving while intoxicated.

In 2014, Healea was charged with four counts of second-degree assault for operating a vehicle while intoxicated after police said he backed his vehicle into a Columbia restaurant, injuring four people. Police also charged him with leaving the scene.

The plea came days before a scheduled trial in Shelby County, which was set to begin Sept. 7. The case originated in Boone County but was moved to Shelby County after a venue change.

Judge Frederick Tucker sentenced Healea to 12 months in the county jail for each of the assault charges and six months for the DWI charge, but the judge then entered a suspended execution of sentence, instead placing Healea on a two-year probation.

In addition, Healea submitted his resignation as prosecutor, effective 5 p.m. Tuesday, and filed an application to withdraw his candidacy for the prosecutor’s office in November. Healea, a Republican, ran unopposed in the August primary and was set to run unopposed again in November. Healea’s resignation and withdrawal from the election was a condition of his probation. He was first elected to the position in 2010.

He was represented by Shane Farrow of Brown Cornell Farrow in Jefferson City. Farrow declined to comment. Healea did not immediately respond to a message seeking a comment.

Healea’s mid-case appeal rose to the Missouri Supreme Court but was ultimately rejected in May.

He raised concerns of Sixth Amendment violations in his case, including allegations that the Columbia Police Department recorded privileged communication with his attorney after officers arrested him and took him to police headquarters, and prosecutors had access to the recording.

He also sought to keep a special master’s report sealed and disqualify the Attorney General’s Office from prosecuting the case, but his arguments failed to persuade the high court.

The case is State v. Healea, 15SB-CR00046.