Sheriff Claims No Wrong Doing In Court!!!!

The Florida Times-Union
September 20, 2007

Smith insists he's done no wrong

By Paul Pinkham,
The Times-Union
WOODBINE - Camden County Sheriff Bill Smith, accused of misspending thousands of dollars' worth of confiscated drug assets, has fired back in court, saying he did nothing illegal. -------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------
Smith denied a contention by county commissioners that expenditures from the seized asset accounts weren't authorized by state and federal law. Those expenditures include payments to criminals in the county jail, donations to charity and the establishment of several college scholarships.
The commissioners sued Smith on Aug. 10 in an attempt to wrest control of the seized assets money. They demanded that Smith give them complete control of the accounts.
Federal and state authorities returned about $1.6 million to the county last year from drug and property seizures by the Sheriff's Office.
U.S. Treasury and Justice Department guidelines say the federal share of the money is only to be used for law enforcement purposes like jails, training or drug education.
Using documents obtained under Georgia's Open Records Act, the Times-Union reported last month that Smith spent thousands of dollars from the federal seized assets account since 2004 to pay jail inmates, including a convicted methamphetamine manufacturer. Auditors hired by the county also questioned a donation from the accounts to a nonprofit spinal cord center in Atlanta and reimbursement to a Sheriff's Office employee for getting a nursing license.
The lawsuit cited Smith's "unlawful spending" of the money and said he hasn't followed a 1994 county policy that required two signatures on each check from the accounts, one from the Sheriff's Office and one from the board. But the sheriff's response, filed last week, denies any improprieties.
"He has met any legal duties imposed upon him," the response says.
Lt. William Terrell, a sheriff's spokesman, said Smith wouldn't comment further because of the pending litigation.
Commissioners also asked a judge for a temporary restraining order preventing Smith from spending any money from the accounts until the matter is resolved. That request hasn't been heard, and no hearing is scheduled.
County Attorney Brent Green didn't return phone calls Wednesday about the case.
Times-Union writer Gordon Jackson contributed to this report.
paul.pinkham@jacksonville.com,
(904) 359-4107


TRSP Review: Do the audit Sheriff if you have done no wrong. Clear your name and save us money.