Robey Back On State Pay

Dr. Ames Robey is back on the state payroll but he is still prohibited from appearing on the premises of the Ypsilanti State Hospital Forensic Center. State Civil Service Director Richard Ross denied the request of Dr. Donald Smith, acting director of the State Department of Mental Health, to suspend Robey for another 10 days. Smith suspended Robey from his post as the certter's director June 11. At the time, Smith I ordered Robey to stay away from the L center while state mental health officials Bconducted an investigation into Robey's I handling of the Gary Addison Taylor I case. Ross said Friday the original suspenI sion was ordered to keep Robey off the I premises. That was the same reason I Smith requested the second extensión, I according to Ross. "If that was the only reason, we sugI gested that could be done without the suspension," Ross said. In cases of sus pensions for investigations, state civil f service officials usually expect something concrete to be turned up within a one-week period, he said. Additional pensions re fisuálly not grajúaunless the investigation leads to something specific, according to Ross. Norval Trimpe, director of the Civil Service Department's Bureau of Personnel Services, said state department heads "have to come up with pretty good grounds" to jusüfy a continued suspension. "Again I am in the position that I haven't the darndest idea what they're investigating," Robey said Friday. "It seems highly unlikely that they could be spending all this time investigating the situation involving Gary Taylor. So they must be looking further- for what, I have no idea." Taylor, linked to several murders since Robey released him from the Forensic Center in 1972, is in custody in Houston, Tex. on a murder charge. Joseph McCall, Communications officer for the State Mental Health Department, said this week that state investigators are comparing Robey's handling of that case with several others to determine if Taylor was treated any differentlv- Ross said another factor in his decisión was the fact that Robey is subject to I quent court subpoenas to testify about I the mental conditions of persons held at I the center. He would be working as a I state employé by appearing in court, I Ross said, and that would be inconsistent I with his status as a suspended worker. Smith's secretary reported that he was I attending a community mental health I conference and would not return to the I office until Monday. However McCall I said the required court appearances I were the major reason civil service I cials decided tp put Robey back on the I payroll. McCall said Smith has ordered Robey I not to perform any duties as director of I the center, other than to answer the I court subpoenas. "We have no quarrel with that," Trimpe said Friday. "Dr. Smith runs the I Mental Health Department." But Trimpe said Smith's suspension request was denied "on the basis that there was insufficient reason to continue I the suspension." He noted that. there I have been no formal charges made against Robey. An investigation is underway, he said, and there may or may not be charges forthcoming. Civil service officials will not continue a suspension'on something as vague as that," according to Trimpe. Trimpe said civil service rules allow a department head to suspend an employé for seven days without state civil service I approval "but any extensión must meet with the agreement of the State Personnel Director (Ross)." McCall stressed that Smith promised that the probe would be completed as quickly as possible in order to be fair to I everyone involved. He said Smith j timated it might be completed by June I 27. Smith's announcement of the probe I said a five-member team had been I signed to investigate Robey's 1972 I i sion to release Taylor, once described as I the "phantom sniper of Royai Oak." He I had been linked to a series of shooting I attempts of Oakland County women in the 1950's Since his release, Taylor has not reported to the center as he had been I told to do under the convalescent leave Robey had approved for him. He has 'since been charged with two murders I and implicated in at least two others. J bev has defended his action in thécasJ