Jefferson Co. Sheriff and Commissioners battle in court

Inside Judge Joseph Boohaker’s courtroom, County commissioners and Sheriff Mike Hale are fighting over whether his budget can be cut by a third.  In court, commissioners argue they have no choice but to cut budgets across the board.  The sheriff’s asserts, he’s required by law to protect the county.

Even before court started, controversy surrounded a midnight withdrawal.

Jefferson County Sheriff Mike Hale said, “And I think it was just an opportunity for the commission to extract what they intended to do all along, i was shocked.“

As a restraining order was lifted from the commissioners cutting budgets by a third across the board, county commissioners reportedly took millions of dollars out of Sheriff Hale’s jail and patrol accounts.

Sheriff Hale said, “I found out last night about 10:30 when my budget analyst Capt. Barry was trying to reconcile the accounts to see what the impact of a 20 million dollar, I had no idea that the five million would be exacted in that manner in such a small window.“

By the afternoon Judge Joseph Boohaker was asking if he would be asked to rule on this “incident”.  Hale’s attorneys showed him an email and said, the sheriff’s budget analyst would be testifying as to what happened.  Meanwhile back in court, two of the sheriff’s captains testified to the devastating affects of cutting personnel from the budget.  One captain brought up the deaths of the three Ensley police officers and the response to that scene.  Deputies helped locate suspects.  If the budget is cut further, that kind of response time and assistance could go unanswered.  While the sheriff maintains the commissioners have to follow the priority funding mandate set up by Alabama law, commissioners say they must follow the balanced budget act.  After all testimony is heard Judge Boohaker will likely be the final decision-maker.  Court proceedings wrapped at 5-30 this afternoon.  They will continue tomorrow morning at 8-30 in Judge Boohaker’s courtroom.