MARSHALL — The former Murray County Sheriff pleaded not guilty to charges of misconduct in Murray County District Court last week, court records said. The case will be headed to a pretrial hearing, but a hearing date has not been set yet.

Former Sheriff Steven Telkamp entered a not guilty plea during a hearing held via Zoom on March 18. Telkamp faces gross misdemeanor charges of misconduct for allegedly quashing investigation into a possible DWI involving a Minnesota DNR conservation officer.

Telkamp stepped down as Murray County Sheriff in 2022, and did not seek re-election.

According to a criminal complaint, James Arnold Robinson, who was a conservation officer, was involved in a single-vehicle crash in Murray County in April 2022. Crash responders said Robinson smelled like alcohol, and a sample of his blood was taken for analysis, the complaint alleges. Telkamp later told a DNR official that the blood sample kit was sent to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, but the BCA never received the sample kit, the complaint alleges.

The complaint also alleges that Robinson’s phone received calls from a number listed to Telkamp’s spouse on the day of the crash, and on a few days following the crash.

Robinson was later convicted of careless driving in connection with the crash, court records said.

Telkamp pleaded not guilty to misconduct charges on March 18, and the case was set for a pretrial hearing and a trial, said Phillip Prokopowicz, lead prosecuting attorney in the case. However, dates for the upcoming hearing and trial have not been set yet.