Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway filed a quo warranto petition against Ray County Prosecutor Camille Johnston, and a judge then barred Johnston from exercising prosecutorial authority while the case continues. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office said Johnston cannot take any actions in an official capacity and is no longer Ray County Prosecuting Attorney at this time.
Catherine Hanaway petition
Hanaway’s petition says Johnston failed to recuse herself from an investigation involving Juan David Gutierrez. It also says she failed to disclose Gutierrez’s whereabouts to law enforcement and transferred the title to her vehicle to him to help him abscond.
The filing adds that Johnston and Gutierrez had lived together and had been involved in a romantic relationship. The Missouri Attorney General’s Office said Gutierrez is the sexual-violence suspect identified as J.G., and that his case is currently charged but on hold pending an appeal in another matter.
Ray County authority
The petition also accuses Johnston of having an improper relationship with a criminal defense attorney and with a man charged in a domestic-violence case in Ray County. It further alleges that she retaliated against an employee who discovered one relationship and created an atmosphere of fear and intimidation inside her office.
Hanaway said, “When an elected official treats public office like their personal playground, betraying the public trust, ignoring legal obligations, and putting self-interest first, removal isn’t a suggestion, it’s a necessity,” in a statement to Digital. She also said, “Johnston’s record reflects a sustained pattern of misconduct and willful neglect that has undermined the integrity of the prosecutor’s office and poses a serious threat to public safety. In Missouri, public office is public trust, not a personal entitlement, and no one is above accountability.”
quo warranto order
A quo warranto petition is the mechanism Missouri uses to test whether an officeholder has the legal right to keep that office. In this case, the judge’s preliminary order means Johnston cannot act as prosecutor while the petition is litigated, but the filing itself remains pending and Johnston can seek reinstatement as the proceedings continue.
For Ray County, the immediate effect is simple: Johnston has been sidelined from official prosecutorial decisions while the removal effort moves forward. The unresolved issue now is whether the court will uphold the allegations that she acted improperly in cases tied to Juan David Gutierrez and other matters inside her office.
