Sheriff Mike Blakely convicted on theft, ethics charges
A longtime Alabama sheriff has been removed from office, the attorney general’s office said, after jurors on Monday found him guilty of charges of theft and using his office for personal gain. News outlets report that jurors convicted Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakley of two counts but found him not guilty of eight others. After nearly 40 years in office, Blakely was escorted out of the courtroom by one of his own deputies and taken to the same jail that he oversaw as sheriff. He was not placed in handcuffs as he left the courtroom, news outlets reported. Chief Deputy Attorney General Clay Crenshaw said Blakely will be immediately removed from office on Monday because of the felony convictions. The two convictions relate to accusations that Blakely borrowed money from a jail safe used to hold inmates’ money and that he deposited $4,000 in campaign funds into his personal account. “The attorney general’s office is committed to ensuring the violators of the public trust be held accountable under the law,” Crenshaw said, reading a statement from the Alabama attorney general’s office. “Today Sheriff Blakely has been held to account for felony violations of the Alabama ethics law as well as a theft charge.” An attorney on Blakely’s defense team told reporters that they will “keep fighting.” “We will certainly appeal this decision today and look forward to having another day in court on this matter,” Mark McDaniel, an attorney on Blakey’s defense team, after hearing the verdict. Blakely, 70, took the stand during the trial to deny any wrongdoing. Initially elected in 1982, Blakely told jurors he sometimes put campaign funds into his personal account because his campaign treasurer lived hours away and encouraged him to deposit the money as reimbursement for campaign expenses. While testimony showed Blakely sometimes left IOUs and took money from a jail safe used to hold inmates’ money, he said that wasn’t a crime. Blakely didn’t deny gambling at casinos during trips to the Gulf Coast and Nevada for law enforcement conferences, but he said the outings didn’t cost taxpayers extra and denied accusations that an employee sent him money because he was broke from losses. Blakely was indicted in 2019, but the case was delayed several times because of reasons including the pandemic. “Public officials must set the highest example of accountability, and no matter how long someone holds office they are not above the law,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said in a statement. “Sheriff Blakely repeatedly swore an oath to enforce and obey the law during his 40 years in office, and he now knows the consequences of violating that oath.” Blakely faces a possible prison sentence of between two and 20 years for each count. Sentencing will occur at a later date. Republished with the permission of the Associated Press.
New AG appoints Clay Crenshaw Alabama Chief Deputy Attorney General
Newly appointed Alabama Attorney General Steven Marshall announced Tuesday his own appointment of Assistant Attorney General Clay Crenshaw to serve as Chief Deputy Attorney General. Crenshaw succeeds Alice Martin, who held the post for the last two years under former state AG Luther Strange. “I am pleased to welcome Clay Crenshaw, a near 30-year veteran of the Attorney General’s Office, to the position of Chief Deputy Attorney General,” said Marshall. “Clay possesses a wealth of legal experience defending the State in complex litigation, most recently leading the Attorney General’s Office Appeals Division which oversees Alabama’s death penalty cases and criminal appeals. He understands the important role that law enforcement and the court system play in protecting the people of Alabama, and I know he will ensure that this office continues to uphold the rule of law.” Crenshaw is a Greenville native, and a 1988 graduate of the University of Alabama School of Law. He holds a B.S. in political science from Auburn University Montgomery. Previously he’s served as Assistant Attorney General with the Alabama Department of Finance from 1989-1992, Assistant Attorney General in the Capital Litigation Division from 1992-1998, Division Chief of the Capital Litigation Division from 1998-2015 and Chief of the Appeals Division in 2016. AG Marshall also thanked Chief Deputy Martin for assisting during his transition into office, ensuring the mission of the Attorney General’s Office continued uninterrupted. “I am grateful to Chief Deputy Martin for her assistance over the last three weeks as I transitioned into my new role as Alabama’s 48th Attorney General,” Marshall said. “I appreciate her service to the state and her commitment to the office.” Martin leaves the office to rejoin the Alabama Department of Examiners of Public Accounts.
