Walker County Sheriff Nick Smith accuses district attorney of lying about severity of charges against him
WALKER COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — The embattled sheriff of Walker County is countering prosecutors' claims on the penalty of the crimes he is charged with, alleging they were purposefully misstated to sway the upcoming election next year.
On Monday, Sheriff Nick Smith was indicted on charges related to hiring six men as deputies who weren't certified by the Alabama Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission. Likewise, Chief Deputy Ralph Williams was charged with lying to the APOSTC about firing a deputy who was still on the force.
Specifically, Smith is charged with six counts of violating article of standards for employing law enforcement officers. According to the Code of Alabama, the charge is a misdemeanor subject to fines of no more than $1,000.
During a press conference announcing the charges against Smith, however, District Attorney Bill Adair claimed the charges could result in up to three months in jail and a $500 fine on each charge.
'That it is the belief of Sheriff Smith that the District Attorney has purposely misstated/overstated the penalty for the charges against the Sheriff for the express purpose of negatively influencing potential voters in the upcoming election,' wrote Thomas Carmichael, Smith's attorney.
Following the indictment, which he called 'lawfare' and a 'political arrest,' Smith accused Adair of going after him to help J.C. Poe, chief of the Jasper Police Department who is running against him in an election to be held November 3, 2026. Responding to Smith's accusations, Adair said the sheriff was living in an 'alternate reality.'
Carmichael has requested that the penalty for the charges against Smith be certified to reflect no jail time and no more than a $1,000 fine.
The case is ongoing.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hill
13 minutes ago
- The Hill
Hegseth's long week on Capitol Hill
The Big Story Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday closed out his third and final day of hearings on Capitol Hill. © Associated Press The final day was not without its fireworks, with several clashes with lawmakers as he dodged questions on invading Greenland, Ukraine aid, his use of the app Signal, and troop deployment in Los Angeles. Hegseth, in his first appearance before the House Armed Services Committee, was quickly hit with queries from panel Democrats, starting with ranking member Adam Smith (Wash.). Smith pressed the Pentagon chief on whether it is the Defense Department's policy that the U.S. military be prepared to take Greenland or Panama by force. Hegseth would not rule out the possibility of a future military invasion of the Arctic territory and Central American country, suggesting to lawmakers the Pentagon could have such plans and that the U.S. has an interest in protecting both areas from Chinese influence. The Defense Department 'plans for any particular contingency,' he said, adding that 'I think the American people would want the Pentagon to have plans for anything.' The answer caused Smith to scoff, replying: 'I don't think the American people voted for President Trump because they were hoping we would invade Greenland. I'm going to go out on a limb on that one.' Hegseth was later pressed by Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), who implored him to confirm that 'it is not your testimony today that there are plans at the Pentagon for taking by force or invading Greenland, correct? Because I sure as hell hope that it is not that.' Hegseth would only repeat that the 'Pentagon has plans for any number of contingencies' and that officials 'look forward to working with Greenland to ensure that it is secured from any potential threats.' Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) took his five minutes to supply Hegseth with the most direct questioning he's yet faced on whether he shared classified information on U.S. attack plans in Yemen via the Signal messaging app. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) then lambasted the Defense secretary as an 'embarrassment,' demanding he resign over a range of issues including the Signal group chat, deploying Marines to Los Angeles amid protests and his views on Russia's war in Ukraine. 'I have called for your resignation. I didn't think you were qualified before your confirmation, and you have done nothing to inspire confidence in your ability to lead competently,' Carbajal said. The hearing caps off Hegseth's long week on Capitol Hill, which began on Tuesday with a relatively quiet House Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing. But on Wednesday, Hegseth faced heated questions from the Senate's version of the Appropriations panel, which bombarded Hegseth over the Russia-Ukraine war, the Pentagon's delays in delivering budget information and the administration's focus on Greenland in its Arctic strategy. Read the full report at Welcome to The Hill's Defense & National Security newsletter, I'm Ellen Mitchell — your guides to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will affect defense and national security now and inthe future: Rain, thunderstorms forecast for DC military parade Rain and thunderstorms are forecast for Saturday in the nation's capital, where a day of festivities and a military parade are scheduled to celebrate the U.S. Army's 250th birthday — which happens to coincide with President Trump's 79th birthday. The daylong festivities in Washington will take place mostly on the National Mall, where a fitness event will be held at 9:30 a.m. and a festival will kick off at 11 a.m. The festival … US troops begin detaining migrants on border defense zone U.S. troops at the southern border started detaining migrants last week as part of the 'Deep South Campaign' to prosecute individuals found trespassing in National Defense Areas (NDAs). President Trump has currently designated the U.S.-Mexico stretches between El Paso to Fort Hancock, Texas, as an NDA alongside the land line marking the country's boundaries in New Mexico. U.S. Army Lt. Col. Chad Campbell said three individuals … Newsom says Trump never discussed sending National Guard: 'Stone cold liar' California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said in a podcast episode Thursday that President Trump did not discuss sending the National Guard to Los Angeles when the two recently spoke to each other before Trump's announcement. 'He lied, he lied. On my mother and dad's grave. I don't mess around, when I say this, he lied. Stone cold liar,' Newsom said on The New York Times's 'The Daily.' Host Michael Barbaro had said the … On Our Radar Upcoming things we're watching on our beat: In Other News Branch out with a different read from The Hill: Senate Democrats calls for Noem to resign Multiple Senate Democrats on Thursday called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign after Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) was forcibly removed and later handcuffed for interrupting a press conference Noem held in Los Angeles. 'Kristi Noem should resign in disgrace,' Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) … On Tap Tomorrow Events in and around the defense world: What We're Reading News we've flagged from other outlets: Trending Today Two key stories on The Hill right now: Republicans lay groundwork for 'total tax cliff' at end of Trump's term Congressional Republicans are laying the groundwork for a tax cliff at the end of President Trump's term in office. While the conference is pushing … Read more Trump on 'No Kings' protests during military parade: 'I don't feel like a king' President Trump was asked Thursday to respond to planned counterprotests that will coincide with a military parade in the nation's capital to … Read more Opinions in The Hill Op-eds related to defense & national security submitted to The Hill: You're all caught up. See you tomorrow! Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Amber Alert issued for Decatur 5-year-old
An Amber Alert has been issued for a 5-year-old on behalf of DeKalb County Thursday. Yasir Felton-Smith is believed to be in extreme danger. Police say he is a Black male with brown eyes, black hair and a low-cut hair style. He was last seen in Decatur on Thursday wearing no shirt, black sweatpants with green stripes and black Nike slides. Authorities say he was last seen with Tia Lache Smith a 23-year-old woman with brown eyes, black hair with braids, wearing a dark sweat shirt and blue jeans. Law enforcement said they are seeking a 2013 silver Dodge Avenger in connection with this alert. The vehicle has Georgia plates, SFE9628. If you have any information about this case, contact DeKalb County Police Department at 404-641-1809 or call 911.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Hegseth clashes with Democrats in third day of hearings
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday closed out his third and final day of hearings on Capitol Hill with several clashes with lawmakers as he dodged questions on invading Greenland, Ukraine aid, his use of the app Signal, and troop deployment in Los Angeles. Hegseth, in his first appearance before the House Armed Services Committee, was quickly hit with queries from panel Democrats, starting with ranking member Adam Smith (Wash.). Smith pressed the Pentagon chief on whether it is the Defense Department's policy that the U.S. military be prepared to take Greenland or Panama by force. Hegseth would not rule out the possibility of a future military invasion of the Arctic territory and Central American country, suggesting to lawmakers the Pentagon could have such plans and that the U.S. has an interest in protecting both areas from Chinese influence. The Defense Department 'plans for any particular contingency' he said, adding that 'I think the American people would want the Pentagon to have plans for anything.' The answer caused Smith to scoff, replying: 'I don't think the American people voted for President Trump because they were hoping we would invade Greenland. I'm going to go out on a limb on that one.' Smith also warned that the Trump administration is sending a message to the rest of the world 'that the U.S. is purely in it for itself and does not care about alliances' in seeking to take over its ally countries. President Trump for months has floated the possibility of using military force to take over Greenland and Panama by refusing to rule out such an action. The thought has alarmed allies, including Denmark, which owns Greenland and has opposed any U.S. efforts to take over the territory. Hegseth was later pressed by Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio), who implored him to confirm that 'it is not your testimony today that there are plans at the Pentagon for taking by force or invading Greenland, correct? Because I sure as hell hope that it is not that.' Hegseth would only repeat that the 'Pentagon has plans for any number of contingencies' and that officials 'look forward to working with Greenland to ensure that it is secured from any potential threats.' Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) took his five minutes to supply Hegseth with the most direct questioning he's yet faced on whether he shared classified information on U.S. attack plans in Yemen via the Signal messaging app. Moulton asked Hegseth whether when U.S. Central Command relayed the launch time for fighter jets set to strike Houthi militant targets in March — information the Pentagon chief would go on to share with at least two Signal group chats — the information was relayed on a classified or unclassified system. Hegseth declined to answer, asserting that 'any way that the secretary of Defense communicates or provides information in and of itself is classified and not to be discussed.' He also wouldn't say what the classification markings were on the information Central Command relayed, prompting Moulton to grow exasperated. 'It's not classified to disclose whether or not it was classified,' he said, eventually getting Hegseth to admit that he was not saying that the information was unclassified. 'So you took classified information from Central Command that had a classification marking on it — because that's what's required by DOD regulations — and you put it on an unclassified system,' Moulton stated, asking whether Hegseth plans to take any accountability for that. But Hegseth continued to dodge: 'I serve at the pleasure of the president, like everybody else does.' Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) then lambasted the Defense secretary as an 'embarrassment,' demanding he resign over a range of issues including the Signal group chat, deploying Marines to Los Angeles amid protests and his views on Russia's war in Ukraine. 'I have called for your resignation. I didn't think you were qualified before your confirmation, and you have done nothing to inspire confidence in your ability to lead competently,' Carbajal said. Later, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) pressed the secretary on U.S. military posture with Israel reportedly threatening an imminent attack on Iran. Khanna repeatedly asked Hegseth whether he could commit to not directly attacking Iran unless the Islamic Republic first fired on the United States. Hegseth would make no such assurance. 'It wouldn't be prudent for me to commit or not to commit. My job is to be postured and prepared,' Hegseth said. He also said Trump is 'giving Iran every opportunity, with talks ongoing, but he also fully recognizes the threat that Iran, with a nuclear blowup, would exist.' Khanna also asked Hegseth whether he would commit to following federal court or Supreme Court rulings regarding the Pentagon's extraordinary deployment of National Guard members and Marines into Los Angeles. But the Pentagon chief repeatedly dodged the question, saying only that 'my job right now is to ensure the troops that we have in Los Angeles are capable of supporting law enforcement.' After another effort, Hegseth said the U.S. should not have 'local judges determining foreign policy or national security policy for the country.' Khanna pointed to signals from others in the Trump administration, specifically Vice President Vance, that they could ignore court orders they disagree with. The hearing caps off Hegseth's long week on Capitol Hill, which began on Tuesday with a relatively quiet House Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing. But on Wednesday, Hegseth faced heated questions from the Senate's version of the Appropriations panel, which bombarded Hegseth over the Russia-Ukraine war, the Pentagon's delays in delivering budget information and the administration's focus on Greenland in its Arctic strategy.
