Former Chillicothe High School Principal Jeff Fisher has been granted early release from prison.
After walking into Ross County Common Pleas Court Judge Mike Ater's courtroom on Thursday, February 20th. in a red jump suit and shackles, Fisher’s attorney explained the Fisher was a model inmate who has recanted his denials in the case.
Judge Ater said he was surprised that Fisher had been sent to a facility that lacked sex offender counseling and said he had given Fisher prison time because he had fooled people in the school system, and Judge Ater didn’t entirely trust him now.
Judge Ater however chose to release Fisher from serving eleven more months of his sentence, but warned him he would be on strict community control including polygraph testing, drug testing, sexual counseling and community service. Judge Ater said that while in prison, Fisher was not able to get therapy that he needed, and he wants to see Fisher complete supervision where the local court can keep an eye on him.
Fisher was sentenced to two years in January of 2019 on two counts of sexual battery.
The case had been set to go to trial in November of last year when just a few days prior to the trial’s start, Fisher made a plea deal with prosecution. Fisher agreed to an Alford plea, maintaining his innocence but recognized that prosecutors had enough evidence to convict.
Fisher’s sentence also included a $2,000 fine, and he is now required to file as a registered sex offender.
The case began in 2017 following allegations of sexual misconduct with two now-former students.