DIANA OLESKE REFILES LAWSUIT AGAINST FUNERAL DIRECTORS

District 1 Medical Examiner Diana Oleske has re-filed her libel and defamation lawsuit against two local funeral home directors -- and according to the PNJ, she's accusing Escambia County Commisioner Steven Barry of being a "co-conspirator" in an effort to undermine her as medical examiner, although he is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit. This comes after her lawsuit was previously dismissed, but the judge gave her an opportunity to re-file with more specific allegations. Oleske is suing funeral home directors Jerald Mitchell and Richard Trahan, who accused the medical examiner's office of "butchering bodies" and delaying paperwork last year. They wrote letters to the Escambia Board of Commissioners which were then published by Commissioner Jeff Bergosh in his blog. Oleske denied the allegations, and said they were created to prevent the medical examiner's office from being moved to Santa Rosa County. The lawsuit is seeking damages in excess of $50-thousand dollars.