KSHB 41 News anchor/I-Team reporter Sarah Plake has covered issues happening in Ray County. Send Sarah an email.
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Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway has removed Ray County Prosecutor Camille Johnston from office.
Hanaway's office filed court documents Thursday seeking to remove Johnston. A judge swiftly approved a preliminary order immediately removing Johnston.
LINK | Read the petition
The quo warranto says Johnston has "forfeited the office of prosecuting attorney" due to "misconduct" laid out in the petition.
The misconduct mentioned is related to Johnston's alleged romantic relationships, which creates, "at the very least, an obvious appearance of a conflict of interest."
The quo warranto references a suspect in a sexual assault case identified as "J.G.," with whom Johnston had a romantic relationship. The initials and the nature of the investigation mirror exclusive reporting from KSHB 41's Sarah Plake in September 2025, detailing a relationship between Johnston and a man named Juan David Gutierrez.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri Attorney General's office investigated and prosecuted Gutierrez's case due to a conflict of interest.
The quo warranto adds context to KSHB 41's reporting, saying Johnston visited "J.G." in Mississippi, "where he had absconded, and subsequently went to Florida to vacation with J.G."
The court filing concludes that Johnston knew the whereabouts of "J.G." and deliberately chose not to disclose his location, demonstrating her "obvious conflict of interest."
Juan David Gutierrez's assault case was set to go to trial the week of July 13 but was pushed back. The next hearing will take place in September.
Another of Johnston's relationships, according to quo warranto, is with a licensed Ray County attorney with the initials "T.T." who "has represented, and continues to represent, numerous criminal defendants against criminal charges filed by Respondent in her role as prosecutor."
In her role, the quo warranto says Johnston was required to "disqualify herself, and her office, and seek a special prosecutor in any case in which T.T. was representing a defendant."
The petition includes details from a former employee in the prosecutor's office who said she was retaliated against, by being fired, for speaking up about another of Johnston's romantic relationships.
The quo warranto petition says Johnston was in a separate relationship with a domestic violence defendant, identified as "C.W."
Johnston was disqualified from the prosecution in C.W.'s case when local law enforcement became aware of the relationship and sought a special prosecutor.
The quo warranto accuses Johnston of willfully withholding information about the relationship from the victim in the case, Ray County staff, and the circuit court.
Additionally, Johnston is accused of creating an atmosphere of "fear and tension" within her office through her outbursts of anger and violence, causing fear in her staff.
The Attorney General's office believes Johnston likely committed several crimes, including acceding to corruption and hindering prosecution.
KSHB 41 Investigator Sarah Plake confirmed with the AG’s office in May that it had received a number of complaints about Johnston but had yet to open a formal investigation.
A subsequent request to obtain copies of those complaints was denied on June 26, citing an "active investigation."
The court filing is known as a quo warranto and is similar to the process former Missouri AG Andrew Bailey used to remove former Ray County Sheriff Scott Childers from office in March 2024.
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