By Janice Morse
The Cincinnati Enquirer

HAMILTON - Three employees of the Butler County Adult Probation office resigned this week amid an internal investigation of possible "abuses of leave time," said Gary Yates, chief probation officer and court administrator for the Common Pleas Court's General Division.

Yates said the investigation is still in progress. He said William Gray, Ron Wells and Rick Baker, who quit their jobs, had been under investigation after "an inquiry" in late 2002 or early 2003. Yates said Gray cited health reasons in his hand-written resignation letter Tuesday; Wells and Baker did not specify reasons in their typewritten letters Monday, but stated they were resigning under their own free will. Attempts to reach the men for comment were unsuccessful Thursday.

A fourth person has been reassigned, Yates said.

E-mail jmorse@enquirer.com