From wire and correspondent reports

WHEATLAND - Less than a week after she submitted her resignation, Platte County Attorney Mary Eikenberry has told the Platte County Commission she wants her job back.

In a letter hand-delivered to the Platte County clerk Monday morning, dated Friday and addressed to the county commission, Eikenberry wrote: "I am withdrawing my offer to resign as Platte County Attorney. I was elected the county attorney by the people of Platte County, and will continue to serve them as Platte County and prosecuting Attorney."

Eikenberry had submitted a letter of resignation last Wednesday, two days after her entire staff submitted their resignations and one day after the county commissioners voted to hire an outside attorney, David Evans of Cheyenne, to advise them.

Commission Chairman Joe Reichardt said Monday he wasn't sure, at this point, whether Eikenberry can withdraw her resignation. He's schedule a public meeting for Thursday afternoon to hear the issue; commissioners were scheduled to meet privately with Evans.

Bruce Moats, Eikenberry's attorney, declined to comment on her latest letter, saying Eikenberry was making her own comment on the subject. But when her office was contacted late Monday afternoon, she was unavailable.

Plans are already in motion to replace Eikenberry, as an official letter was sent Thursday to the Platte County Republican Central Committee to nominate three new county attorney candidates. The party has 15 days from Eikenberry's resignation to respond, and then commissioners have five days to decide on their choice for a new county attorney.

Eikenberry easily defeated incumbent Eric Alden in last year's Republican primary, then ran unopposed in the general election. Since she took office in January, however, critics have complained that Eikenberry has dismissed dozens of criminal cases in the four months she's been in office, and at least one formal complaint has been filed against her.