Cotton County commissioner agrees to removal from office

WALTERS — On Wednesday, a Cotton County commissioner accused of abusing his office avoided two trials by agreeing to his removal from office.

Presiding District Judge Emmit Tayloe signed the order and District 5 District Attorney Kyle Cabelka approved it after Cotton County District 1 Commissioner Micah “Mike” Woods’ withdrew his denial of allegations of abuse in office, records indicate.

A civil removal trial was scheduled to begin on Monday for Woods with a criminal trial scheduled to begin April 8. Following the agreement, Tillman County Assistant District Attorney Deanna J. Hansell signed off on an order to dismiss the charges.

Woods’ removal was for allegations of failure to produce and account for all public property in his hands, at any settlement or inspection authorized by law was added to the original three causes applicable for removal: oppression in office, corruption in office and willful maladministration.

Woods was served with the original application paperwork Nov. 14, 2023, according to court records, and he was immediately suspended from office.

The original application followed an attorney general’s grand jury that met in Oklahoma City in November 2023.

Woods was accused of misconduct in office and, due to being a public official not subject to impeachment, he should be removed from office, according to the grand jury’s recommendations.

In the allegations, Woods was accused of oppression in office, harassment, stalking and inappropriate and inaccurate statements about personnel that led to a hostile working environment, according to the grand jury’s recommendations. He also is accused by the grand jury of corruption in office and willful maladministration by using county employees and materials to build campaign signs for his personal use for reelection on Nov. 8, 2022.

Woods, 63, of Walters, was facing a felony count of embezzlement, which followed a 2022 investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

Woods was accused of using Cotton County District 1 employees to build campaign signs for him, working on county time without the approval of other Cotton County commissioners, according to the warrant affidavit.

Woods was bound over for trial following a July 21, 2023, preliminary hearing.