Stephen Sokoloff was appointed as a special prosecutor to review the Hannah Fizer case and hopefully prosecute Pettis County Sheriff's Deputy Jordan Schutte for murder. Sokoloff is general counsel for the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services. Sokoloff was appointed at the request of Pettis County Prosecutor Phillip Sawyer in order to maintain an appearance of non-bias on the part of the government. Special prosecutors are not unusual for cases in which one of the people being considered for prosecution works in the law enforcement community. Had Sawyer decided not to prosecute, allegations of corruption would surly follow in the tightly knit town of Sedalia, Missouri where Hannah was murdered and the killer's father was a powerful figure in local law enforcement, a Freemason, and reportedly the "best of friends" with Pettis County Sheriff Kevin Bond.
Despite the appointment of a special prosecutor, the law enforcement fraternity in general always looks for excuses not to hold officers accountable. Hopefully Sokoloff's appointment is not just a formality waiting to be rubber stamped.