One thing I have found in trying to put all this in order is that it’s not easy to put all this in order. I find myself going through legal documents, emails and my notes and sometimes things overlap, or I need to go back and explain something. Anyway, bear with me if at times I seem to jump around.
2023
October 30
Circuit Judge Jeff White, Circuit Judge Todd Stearns, and District Judge Eric Coale recused themselves from my case “due to their professional relationships with certain of the parties and social friendships therewith.”
I’ll add here, when I went on the Board of Education to serve out the late David Nolin’s term in 2021, I asked Jeff White to swear me in. I asked him again when I won the election in 2022.
November 1
I went to attorney Earnie White’s office that morning about 10. He accompanied me to the jail. I was arrested on Board of Education ethics violation charges. I was allowed to turn myself in at the jail rather than being picked up by deputies. The booking process was pretty much the same except I was not strip searched and didn’t have to shower. I had my second mug shot taken, however, I was allowed to hold up an orange shirt rather than put it on. I was released on a property bond. (I wrote about this arrest in My Story, part 2, June 19, Atmore News).
The ethics violation had to do with my selling ads to the Board of Education. In a future article, I’ll address these charges and the “witnesses” who testified before the grand jury. The witnesses are not named, of course, but by the nature of their testimony, it’s easy to determine who they were.
I didn’t make a note of it at the time, but I believe my cell phone was returned to me when I was finished at the jail that day.
November 2
I received an email from Michael Strobl with the CBS News National Desk asking for a statement on “reports that, as the co-owner and president of Atmore News, you were taken into custody on charges of revealing grand jury secrets. Would really appreciate any comment or information you’re able to share.” I referred him to our attorney.
I include this email because it’s indicative of the emails and phone calls we were getting at the time.
November 3
I was served “Impeachment and Prayer of Removal from Office” paperwork. This was emailed to me by my attorney’s office.
Some really interesting charges in this eight-page document, fraught with inaccuracies and false charges. If I address all these, that will be an article in itself, but it’s a good indication of how desperate some people were to have me removed from office.
November 6
Jeri Webb, paralegal with Earnie’s office, let me know I had an arraignment set for November 16 on the ethics charges.
I mentioned in last week’s article about the many media outlets, journalists, etc. who had gotten in touch with us. We referred them to our attorney.
One of those who reached out was Katherine Jacobson, Committee to Protect Journalists, Washington D.C. I talked with Katherine on the phone a few times but couldn’t tell her anything on the record.
On Monday, November 6, Katherine showed up at our office. I still couldn’t talk with her on the record. But I did invite her to deliver newspapers with me the next day, and she accepted the invitation. I was glad to show her around my hometown. We had a good time and a lengthy off-the-record conversation. (photo below)
By the way, you might want to Google the Committee to Protect Journalists and read about their work. Katherine is quite impressive in her own right.
November 7
I received an email from Jeri that the sheriff would formally serve me in the next day or so with the impeachment paperwork. Earnie had already filed on the charges. Jeri didn’t want me to be blindsided. However, I don’t remember that the sheriff served me.
Don and I had an email from Jeri that a reporter from the Washington Post wanted to meet with us. Post reporter Paul Fahri had written a number of articles about our unconstitutional arrests on “revealing grand jury secrets.”
November 9
Don and I met with Paul Fahri from the Washington Post at Earnie’s office in Brewton. It seems we met for the better part of the afternoon. Again, this was an off-the-record conversation. Believe me, there was so much Don and I wanted to write and say during this time, but we were always mindful (thanks to Earnie) of our position and the danger of being too verbal in print or word.
November 14
Don and I received an email from Jeri that we were set to appear in court on December 4 for preliminary hearings on the grand jury case. To jump ahead here, we received an email on December 1 that the DA had indicted us, so we were not entitled to a preliminary hearing. More on that in the next article.
November 16
I was due to appear in court for an arraignment, however, it was postponed because the out-of-town judge couldn’t come. When the local judges recused themselves at the end of October, Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Parker appointed retired Autauga County Circuit Judge Ben Fuller to hear the ethics violation and impeachment cases against me, as well as the case against me and Don Fletcher for revealing grand jury secrets.
November 18
I never cried during this ordeal; however, I did get teary a couple of times. The first time was during Sara Davis’s Eagle Saints class at Atmore First Assembly. The class always starts with prayer and praise time. Someone in the room asked for prayer for me – by name. I felt my eyes filling with tears.
My friend Robbie Drummond handed me a note: “Every Sunday someone asks prayer for you.”
Everywhere I went people were telling me they were praying for me and for us. I appreciated every one of them. Still do.
But sitting in that room that Sunday morning and hearing my name really touched me.
Closing comments on this article:
- It seems I may be going into too much detail, but I think it’s the only way you can know what was going on. It was a constant flurry of emails, legal documents, phone calls, dates set and postponed. What I wrote above is not all that was going on at the time, but maybe it gives you an idea. Some days it was an emotional roller coaster.
- People became afraid. So many people told me privately they supported us and were praying for us but were afraid to speak out. So many times, I heard, “If they did this to you, would they do it to me if someone had something against me?”
The really sad part of this is that some good, qualified people became afraid to run for office. A friend of mine was considering challenging an incumbent board member for his seat. But she wouldn’t run on the basis of what was happening to me and the others. What a travesty that is – that people are afraid to run for office. - I don’t know what it’s like to be arrested justly. The four of us were innocent and were arrested. Let me tell you what that does to you. If there is no cause for an arrest, what’s to keep “them” from coming after you again? From coming to pick you up and take you to jail?
Don and I talked about it at the office early on, but I didn’t know for a long time that Cindy Jackson and Ashley Fore felt the same way. There was always a feeling “they” might come get any one of us again.
This is what that’s like. So, you’re sitting in your living room watching TV or reading and you hear a car door slam close by. Or heaven forbid, there’s an unexpected knock on your door. Believe me, the hair on the back of your neck goes up.
I thought I was over that until a few weeks ago, and the same feeling came over me one night when I heard a car door.
Wonder how long it will be before that goes away. - God is faithful.
To be continued.