This week, an Alabama sheriff faced arrest and indictment for allegedly hiring officers lacking the necessary training and certifications.
Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith, 41, faces six misdemeanor charges related to the violation of standards for employing law enforcement officers. These charges arise from his hiring decisions involving one deputy, four armed school resource officers, and one jailer. Walker County Chief Deputy Ralph Williams, 45, has reportedly been charged with one misdemeanor count for allegedly providing false information to the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission (APOSTC).
The charges claim that Smith employed the law enforcement officers despite being aware they failed to meet state legal standards. In a remarkable statement, Alan Benefield, the executive secretary of APOSTC, the body responsible for certifying law enforcement officers in Alabama, expressed that he has “never seen” a case quite like Smith’s.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Walker County District Attorney Bill Adair joined Benefield to announce the indictment. Smith faces potential penalties of three months in jail and a $500 fine for each charge, as stated by Adair. However, for Smith, the indictment poses an additional threat — the potential impact on his reelection efforts.
“Sheriff Smith believes that the District Attorney has intentionally misrepresented the penalties associated with the charges against him to sway potential voters in the forthcoming election,” stated Thomas Carmichael, an attorney representing Smith.
The sheriff took to his campaign Facebook page on Monday to share a post asserting that “Lawfare Has Made Its Way to Walker County Politics.” In this update, he revealed that he has filed a lawsuit against the Walker County Commission and the Walker County Civil Service Board regarding hiring decisions, aiming to “reclaim the ability” to make his own choices.
Adair expressed uncertainty regarding the status of the six officers named in the indictment, noting that while he thought they had returned their vehicles in March, it appeared that some might still be employed in reduced roles. In a shocking development, it has come to light that one of the officers named in the indictment had his law enforcement certification suspended in Arizona. During a civil service board meeting, sworn testimony revealed that he confessed to an alarming incident where he allegedly placed a gun to a woman’s head following a traffic stop.
Smith has found himself at the center of a storm that has been brewing for quite some time. In a tragic incident in 2023, Tony Mitchell, who struggled with mental illness, lost his life due to sepsis and hypothermia while in county jail. Reports indicate that over a dozen law enforcement personnel from Walker County have faced legal consequences, with at least 14 either pleading guilty or being indicted on federal charges connected to this unfortunate event.
Mitchell spent two weeks in jail, according to reports, and a lawsuit brought by his family alleges that he was kept unclothed in a concrete cell during January of that year.
Since 2019, Smith has held the position of Sheriff in Walker County.
