Judge James F. Stevenson of Shelby County sentenced Wright to a $500 fine and costs of the court action. Stevenson was appointed a visiting judge in the case.
“I want to apologize for my conduct … And for any disgrace or harm that I caused to the DARE program,” Wright said before sentencing.
Wright’s lawyer, Jose Lopez, said life is a balance of the good and bad people do.”I would submit … Kirt Wright has done far more good than bad,” he said.
County prosecutor Tony Kendell said all who work in law enforcement know they are held to a higher standard. “And, the vast majority of us take that very seriously,” Kendell said, adding Wright was in a position of greater trust in working with children.
“These children had contact with him every day. They looked up to him and he failed in his position of trust in a very miserable way,” Kendell said. He asked for prison time for Wright.
Wright resigned from the police department July 23.
Kendell said Wright was accused of misusing a credit card issued only for the purposes of the schools DARE program. The card was funded with money donated to the program. The charge alleged the thefts occurred between January 2008 and May.
Wright worked for the county sheriff’s department from September 1991 through August 1999, when he joined the Troy Police Department. He was assigned a School Resource Officer in 2008.
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