Latest news with #ChampCrocker
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Nearly 60 cases dismissed due to corruption in Alabama police department
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Nearly 60 felony cases will be dropped in a small Alabama town because they were compromised by what a grand jury called a 'rampant culture of corruption" in the local police department, according to a statement on Wednesday. The grand jury determined that 58 felony criminal cases had been tainted by corruption in the Hanceville Police Department in northern Alabama, after four officers and the police chief were indicted on a variety of charges related to mishandling or removing evidence from the department's evidence room. The indictment included a recommendation that the department be 'immediately abolished.' The case roiled the town of approximately 3,200 people about 45 miles (70 kilometers) north of Birmingham. Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker said that even one compromised case 'is too many' but that "the Grand Jury had no other recourse,' in a statement on Wednesday night. He added that most of the cases were drug-related and only a few were personal crimes with victims. The 58 tossed cases were selected based on an audit conducted by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations. The audit found that nearly 40% of all 650 evidence bags and almost a third of all firearms weren't documented before being stored in the evidence room. There was also a wide array of evidence that appeared to be missing, including firearms, cash and illicit drugs. Hanceville Mayor Jimmy Sawyer placed the whole department on leave in February, and then following weeks of polarized debate, announced in March that the department would be disbanded and rebuilt from scratch. A spokesperson for Hanceville's municipal government did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Thursday afternoon. ___ Riddle is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
The Independent
08-05-2025
- The Independent
Nearly 60 cases dismissed due to corruption in Alabama police department
Nearly 60 felony cases will be dropped in a small Alabama town because they were compromised by what a grand jury called a 'rampant culture of corruption" in the local police department, according to a statement on Wednesday. The grand jury determined that 58 felony criminal cases had been tainted by corruption in the Hanceville Police Department in northern Alabama, after four officers and the police chief were indicted on a variety of charges related to mishandling or removing evidence from the department's evidence room. The indictment included a recommendation that the department be 'immediately abolished.' The case roiled the town of approximately 3,200 people about 45 miles (70 kilometers) north of Birmingham. Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker said that even one compromised case 'is too many' but that "the Grand Jury had no other recourse,' in a statement on Wednesday night. He added that most of the cases were drug-related and only a few were personal crimes with victims. The 58 tossed cases were selected based on an audit conducted by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations. The audit found that nearly 40% of all 650 evidence bags and almost a third of all firearms weren't documented before being stored in the evidence room. There was also a wide array of evidence that appeared to be missing, including firearms, cash and illicit drugs. Hanceville Mayor Jimmy Sawyer placed the whole department on leave in February, and then following weeks of polarized debate, announced in March that the department would be disbanded and rebuilt from scratch. A spokesperson for Hanceville's municipal government did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Thursday afternoon. ___
Winnipeg Free Press
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Nearly 60 cases dismissed due to corruption in Alabama police department
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Nearly 60 felony cases will be dropped in a small Alabama town because they were compromised by what a grand jury called a 'rampant culture of corruption' in the local police department, according to a statement on Wednesday. The grand jury determined that 58 felony criminal cases had been tainted by corruption in the Hanceville Police Department in northern Alabama, after four officers and the police chief were indicted on a variety of charges related to mishandling or removing evidence from the department's evidence room. The indictment included a recommendation that the department be 'immediately abolished.' The case roiled the town of approximately 3,200 people about 45 miles (70 kilometers) north of Birmingham. Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker said that even one compromised case 'is too many' but that 'the Grand Jury had no other recourse,' in a statement on Wednesday night. He added that most of the cases were drug-related and only a few were personal crimes with victims. The 58 tossed cases were selected based on an audit conducted by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations. The audit found that nearly 40% of all 650 evidence bags and almost a third of all firearms weren't documented before being stored in the evidence room. There was also a wide array of evidence that appeared to be missing, including firearms, cash and illicit drugs. Hanceville Mayor Jimmy Sawyer placed the whole department on leave in February, and then following weeks of polarized debate, announced in March that the department would be disbanded and rebuilt from scratch. A spokesperson for Hanceville's municipal government did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Thursday afternoon. ___ Riddle is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Associated Press
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Nearly 60 cases dismissed due to corruption in Alabama police department
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Nearly 60 felony cases will be dropped in a small Alabama town because they were compromised by what a grand jury called a 'rampant culture of corruption' in the local police department, according to a statement on Wednesday. The grand jury determined that 58 felony criminal cases had been tainted by corruption in the Hanceville Police Department in northern Alabama, after four officers and the police chief were indicted on a variety of charges related to mishandling or removing evidence from the department's evidence room. The indictment included a recommendation that the department be 'immediately abolished.' The case roiled the town of approximately 3,200 people about 45 miles (70 kilometers) north of Birmingham. Cullman County District Attorney Champ Crocker said that even one compromised case 'is too many' but that 'the Grand Jury had no other recourse,' in a statement on Wednesday night. He added that most of the cases were drug-related and only a few were personal crimes with victims. The 58 tossed cases were selected based on an audit conducted by the Alabama State Bureau of Investigations. The audit found that nearly 40% of all 650 evidence bags and almost a third of all firearms weren't documented before being stored in the evidence room. There was also a wide array of evidence that appeared to be missing, including firearms, cash and illicit drugs. Hanceville Mayor Jimmy Sawyer placed the whole department on leave in February, and then following weeks of polarized debate, announced in March that the department would be disbanded and rebuilt from scratch. A spokesperson for Hanceville's municipal government did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment on Thursday afternoon. ___ Riddle is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Cullman County DA says 58 Hanceville PD cases deemed ‘unprosecutable' by grand jury
CULLMAN, Ala. (WHNT) — The Cullman County District Attorney says a grand jury has determined that 58 cases investigated by the Hanceville Police Department cannot be prosecuted. District Attorney Champ Crocker said a Cullman County Grand jury conceded in April and voted to dismiss 58 felony cases previously investigated by the Hanceville Police Department. Crocker said the dismissals are due to 'the illegal actions' of several former Hanceville Police officers. Alabama bill giving ABC Board regulation over THC products derived from hemp awaiting Gov. Ivey's signature 'The Grand Jury that unanimously indicted the former Hanceville police officers determined that those officers' cases, and other cases from the Hanceville Police Department, were unprosecutable,' The district attorney said. 'The same Grand Jury reconvened in April and voted to no-bill, or dismiss, 58 felony cases due to the illegal actions of those former Hanceville officers. Most of these cases involved drugs, and only a few were personal crimes with victims. One dismissal is too many, but the Grand Jury had no other recourse.' Crocker said the jury convened after the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation completed its audit of the department. That audit showed that 249 pieces of evidence in the department's evidence room were not documented with case numbers and approximately 78 evidence bags were unsealed or torn open. Crocker shared images of the results of that audit, which can be found here: (Courtesy of the Cullman County District Attorney's Office) (Courtesy of the Cullman County District Attorney's Office) (Courtesy of the Cullman County District Attorney's Office) (Courtesy of the Cullman County District Attorney's Office) Crocker also shared several photos showing the state of the evidence room. This all comes after an investigation into the death of a Hanceville dispatcher, Christopher Willingham. The Cullman County Coroner said Willingham died of an accidental drug overdose in his office. The death investigation led officials with multiple agencies to look into what was happening within the Hanceville Police Department. On Feb. 19, Crocker and Sheriff Matt Gentry announced that five Hanceville Police Officers, including Police Chief Jason Marlin, and one of the officer's wives were arrested on various charges including tampering, solicitation and failure to report. Crocker shared other findings from the Cullman County Grand Jury, which found that the 'death of former Hanceville dispatcher Chris Willingham is the direct result of Hanceville Police Department's negligence, lack of procedure, general incompetence, and disregard for human life.' The grand jury also recommended that the Hanceville Police Department be abolished. The Hanceville City Council later acted on that recommendation by voting to disband the department entirely, with the goal of starting a new police department. The city said its first step would be hiring a new police chief. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to
