Headline: Walker County Sheriff Responds to Contempt Motion Dismissal
Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith expressed his dismay after learning about a motion filed against him to hold him in contempt of court via news media. The motion, submitted by District Attorney Bill Adair, Jr. on Wednesday, claimed that Smith had failed to provide records requested by the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (APOSTC). However, Smith quickly countered the allegation, revealing emails that showed he had submitted the requested documents on April 22.
The DA moved to dismiss the motion, and it was promptly dismissed by the judge just two hours later. Smith criticized the DA’s office for what he termed "political gamesmanship," linking the motion to the sheriff campaign of J.C. Poe, the current Jasper police chief who announced his candidacy on the same day the motion was filed. Smith pointed out that Poe employs an investigator who is married to Assistant District Attorney Kristin Kiefer Huddleston, who signed the contempt motion.
“The motion was filed in a hurry,” Smith remarked in a video response, suggesting it was strategically timed to coincide with Poe’s campaign announcement. He expressed further disappointment that he found out about the motion from the media rather than receiving it directly from the court clerk’s office.
Smith criticized leaks from the circuit clerk’s office, which he felt undermined the integrity of the electoral process and governmental operations, causing him to be pulled from a school where he was serving as a resource officer. While he aims for a clean election, Smith vowed to defend his record against what he regards as baseless accusations, anticipating retaliation for his public comments.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
